Steven Gerrard Set to Take Up Saudi Job Despite Denial Two Weeks Ago
Two weeks ago, Steven Gerrard made a public statement that he had turned down an offer to manage in Saudi Arabia. However, it has now been reported by The Athletic‘s James Pearce that Gerrard will, in fact, be taking over as manager of Al-Ettifaq. This comes after talks were renewed last week, with the club now “increasingly confident of securing his services.”
The Saudi Pro League’s Lucrative Revamp
The Saudi Pro League is in the midst of a lucrative revamp, with the royal family’s Public Investment Fund now owning a majority stake in four clubs – Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al Hilal and Al-Ahli – while Qadsia SC, Al-Diriyah Club, Al-Ula and Al-Suqoor FC are also owned by state-funded companies. Cristiano Ronaldo has already been joined in the league by Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy. Roberto Firmino is expected to be confirmed as an Al-Ahli player imminently, joining ex-Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy at the newly promoted club.
Gerrard’s Prospective Squad at Al-Ettifaq
If all goes as planned, then, the 43-year-old will be following Robbie Fowler to the Middle East, with the latter having taken a job with second-tier side Al Qadsiah FC last week. There are no major names in Gerrard’s prospective squad at Al-Ettifaq as of yet, though that is likely to change with assurances almost certain to be made to the incoming manager.
Conclusion
It seemed to be a smart move from the former Liverpool captain to turn down the offer two weeks ago, as though the Saudi Pro League is in the midst of a lucrative revamp, it is still widely viewed as a retirement league. However, with talks having been renewed last week and the club now “increasingly confident of securing his services”, it looks like Steven Gerrard will be taking up the job after all. He will be among the most high-profile acquisitions for the Saudi Pro League so far, and it will be interesting to see what kind of squad he can assemble at Al-Ettifaq.