Richarlison was identified as a late transfer back-up to Mo Salah by Al-Ittihad, who will be back again in January for the Egyptian if Liverpool fall off.
THE RICH GET RICHAR
Poor Richarlison, who was reduced to tears on the Brazil bench after the belated realisation dawned that he would have to do without Angeball during the entire international break.
The Spurs striker missed a sitter before being substituted in a 5-1 World Cup qualifying win over Bolivia, but might be cheered to learn that Saudi Arabia wanted him to Help Grow The Game There during the ridiculous summer transfer window that was.
Al-Ittihad explored a move for Richarlison as a back-up target to Mo Salah, who they failed to extract from Liverpool despite making at least one ludicrously lavish bid with the promise of much more.
But the alternative deal for Richarlison ‘ran out of time’ despite ‘talks through intermediaries’ ahead of Thursday’s Saudi transfer deadline.
The Daily Telegraph add that ‘interest in Richarlison is further evidence of the ambition among Saudi Pro League clubs in getting the world’s biggest names to the Middle East’ and they know precisely what they’re doing with that line.
SALAH BOWL
There is an update on the Salah situation, which rest assured will not go away until the Egyptian is unveiled in some bizarre social media video.
It can be safely assumed that Salah will be the league’s top target in the summer of 2024 if the entire thing has not imploded by then, but there are also rumblings of a move for the forward being revived as early as January.
The Daily Mirror suggest that Al-Ittihad will be back ‘to put the pressure on Liverpool again’ in the winter, particularly if the Reds ‘fail to build on their promising start to the Premier League season’.
While the Saudi champions know Liverpool almost certainly won’t sell if they are in a title race, there is a sense that a deal could be struck if Jurgen Klopp’s side start to fall away and have less to play for.
With Salah aged 31 and into the penultimate year of his Anfield contract, it could be that Liverpool are ‘forced into a rethink about cashing in’ for a nine-figure fee while they still can.
I’M SORRY THAT YOU’RE JADON
And then there’s Jadon Sancho, another who found himself on the Saudi radar late in the window.
Manchester United ruined the forward’s hopes of escaping to Al-Ettifaq by asking for an obligation to buy for £50m at the end of an initial loan, but they might find more luck in offloading Sancho to Borussia Dortmund.
Sancho’s former side approached Manchester United with a loan offer in January and they ‘plan’ to return when the window reopens in the winter if there is no ‘peace’ struck between the player and Erik ten Hag.
There will apparently be “direct contact soon” in an attempt to heal any rift with Sancho and his manager, but The Sun reckon ‘Dortmund chiefs are keeping a close eye on how the situation develops over the next few months’.
One possible issue would be how Manchester United ‘would still want a hefty chunk’ of those reported £300,000-a-week wages covered, but Dortmund at least offer a more comfortable backdrop for Sancho.
