Jurgen Klopp has urged football’s governing bodies to ‘find solutions’ for one ‘unhelpful’ situation which could affect not just Liverpool but every club in the Premier League.
The 20 teams in the English top flight have one month from today to sign players before the transfer window closes, but their counterparts in the Saudi Pro League can continue to make new additions until 20 September (BBC Sport).
Clubs from the Middle Eastern country have already made a seismic impact in football over the past year, luring marquee names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Bobby Firmino.
Liverpool have already been hit by the riches on offer from Saudi Arabia, with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both leaving Anfield for Asia in the past month, and Klopp is fearful that English clubs could continue to be ripe for the picking due to the disparity in the respective transfer window closure dates.
The Reds manager said (via BBC Sport): “It is massive, in the moment [Saudi influence]. Pretty much the worst thing I think is that the transfer window in Saudi Arabia is open three weeks longer.
“If I am right, I heard something like that, then at least in Europe that’s not helpful. UEFA or FIFA must find solutions for that. But in the end, at this moment, I don’t know exactly what will happen.”
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The duration of the transfer window has been a thorny subject even within England, with some clubs unhappy that it continues into the start of the season, therefore creating the possibility of players being unsettled for the first few games if they’re involved in a potential move.
It’s become even more of an issue this summer when looking at the game-changing influence of the Saudi Pro League, who were already at an advantage by the stratospheric riches they can offer and now have another edge due to their ability to sign players for most of September.
Klopp is right to call it out, as we could easily see a scenario whereby Premier League clubs are sitting ducks for three weeks next month, unable to strengthen their own squads while also being at the mercy of obscenely wealthy outfits from the Middle East.
It’s not just a problem for Liverpool, either – their top-flight rivals could all be affected by the gap in the respective transfer windows, and it’d be naïve to think that Saudi teams wouldn’t attempt to harvest their English counterparts once the market closes here.
The fact that different leagues run on different calendars prohibits a one-size-fits-all solution, but it still doesn’t seem right that a gap of 19 days can exist.
It’s too late to remedy the issue this year, but it should certainly give the relevant football authorities food for thought going forward.
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