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 English Premier League clubs have one month from today to sign players before the transfer window ends, but their Saudi Pro League rivals can continue to recruit players until September 20 (BBC Sport).
Over the last year, clubs from the Middle Eastern countries have made a significant impression in football, attracting big stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Bobby Firmino.
Liverpool have already been impacted by the riches on offer from Saudi Arabia, with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both departing Anfield for Asia in the last month, and Klopp is concerned that English clubs will continue to be ripe for the picking due to the disparity in 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.”
Even inside England, the length of the transfer window has been a contentious issue, with some teams unhappy that it extends into the start of the season, potentially leaving players unsettled for the first few games if they are involved in a potential move.
It’s become even more of an issue this summer as a result of the Saudi Pro League’s game-changing influence, which was previously at an advantage because to the stratospheric riches it can provide and now has additional advantage due to their ability to sign players for the most of September.
Klopp is correct in his assessment, as we might easily see Premier League clubs sitting ducks for three weeks next month, unable to enhance their own squads while simultaneously being at the whim of obscenely wealthy Middle Eastern outfits.
It’s not only a concern for Liverpool; their top-flight competitors may all be impacted by the gap in their separate transfer windows, and it’d be naive to believe that Saudi teams won’t try to recruit their English counterparts once the market closes here.
The fact that different leagues operate on different dates precludes a one-size-fits-all solution, yet a delay of 19 days still doesn’t seem appropriate.
It’s too late to fix the problem this year, but it should offer the relevant football authorities fuel for thought in the future.
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