Page 49 - Soccer360 Issue 105

RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM: Karim Benzema David De Gea Raphina
Jadon Sancho
BOTTOM:
Saudi Pro League clubs are expected to revive their attempts to sign Mohamed Salah this summer
NO END IN
SIGHTIan Waterhouse casts an eye
over five other players involved in ongoing transfer sagas
KARIM BENZEMA
After leaving Real Madrid for the riches of Saudi Arabia last summer, it was reported that after three months the legendary striker had had enough and wanted out. Chelsea were reportedly very keen to sign the Frenchman but were put off by his wages. Arsenal were then touted but it was late revealed that he will stay with Al-Ittihad for now at least. However, having signed a three- year contract with the Saudi side, expect plenty more rumours of a move away for the Frenchman.
DAVID DE GEA
For twelve seasons Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea graced the goal line
for Manchester United before being unceremoniously dumped by the club
in the summer. What is remarkable is that the 33-year-old is still without a club. Premier League side Nottingham Forest made an offer, but de Gea refused and despite being linked to the likes
of Real Madrid, Newcastle United and Saudi club Al Shabab, so far nothing has materialised.
RAPHINHA
Ever since Brazilian winger Raphinha joined Barcelona from Leeds United in 2022 there have been reported rumours of him moving on and back to the Premier League. Barcelona have very little money and balancing the books is a must and Raphinha could be one of the makeweights especially with a return to England a likely scenario with London rivals Tottenham and Chelsea reportedly keen.
MOHAMED SALAH
The Saudi Pro League have reportedly made Mohamed Salah their number one transfer target this summer, which is news to absolutely no-one. However, with Jurgen Klopp’s shock announcement that he will step down as Liverpool manager in the summer and with Salah now in his thirties, the Egyptian may now think that this is the perfect time for one last bumper contract.
JADON SANCHO
Sancho may have returned to German giants Borussia Dortmund on loan for the rest of the season but his troubled time at Manchester United had been going on for some time and a falling out with manager Erik ten Haag doesn’t look like resolving itself anytime soon. Come the end of the season Sancho is likely to be surplus to requirements and in need of a permanent new home. Whether that will be with Dortmund likely depends on his performances in the coming months.
Of the other clubs that could have afforded Mbappe, many of them are in the Saudi Pro League, but that option always appeared likely to be off the table after what happened last summer when PSG accepted a world record bid of €300m from Al Hilal for Mbappe.
Despite it being rumoured Mbappe was offered somewhere in the region of €200m per year and to retain all of his own image rights, the 25-year-old declined to even meet with Al Hilal. It was a clear and emphatic sign that Mbappe has his eyes set on gaining the greatest competitive rewards club football has to offer so it seems unlikely that any such move to the Middle East will happen for the foreseeable future. Inevitably, the other main option touted for Mbappe’s next career chapter was a switch to the Premier League, but that always felt unlikely. At one point or another all of the English top-flight heavyweights have been linked with a move. Following their high- profile takeover in 2022, Newcastle United were linked with an audacious bid to bring him to Tyneside. Meanwhile, Liverpool are expected to receive further offers from Saudi Arabia for Mohamed Salah, and for a long time they’ve been touted as an ideal club for Mbappe to ply his trade, but the Reds are known for being more restrained with their transfer window spending.
But they’re not the only ones. The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules state that when it comes to losses, top-flight clubs cannot exceed £105m across a rolling period of three seasons. This has already caught out the likes of Everton who were handed a 10-point deduction with Manchester City conscious of potential charges hanging over them. It has left clubs
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