The summer transfer window has already begun to throw up a number of surprises, not least the Saudi Pro League sweeping up a number of word-class players from major European divisions.
Cristiano Ronaldo made the move to Saudi Arabia last year, following in the footsteps of one-time Premier League players such as David Ospina, Matheus Pereira and Odion Ighalo, and plenty of others are now embarking upon a similar journey.
Karim Benzema called time on his lengthy stay at Real Madrid following a lucrative contract offer from Al-Ittihad and his French compatriot N'Golo Kante is expected to join him at the club in the coming weeks.
Riyad Mahrez, Kyle Walker and Wilfried Zaha are the latest Premier League players also being tipped for a Saudi move, but what does all of this mean for Liverpool and should Jurgen Klopp's side be concerned?
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Offering an opinion on how the Reds could feel the impact of players and coaches alike heading for the Middle East, ECHO jury columnist Rhys Buchanan has taken stock of the situation.
Rhys Buchanan (@Rhys_Buchanan) - Saudi exodus quickly becoming a cause for concern
It’s becoming increasingly common to see big-name players pack up their bags and jump on the first flight available to Saudi Arabia. Since Cristiano Ronaldo penned a two-year deal with Riyadh-based club Al-Nassr last December, we’ve seen a flurry of footballing giants follow suit, presumably with dollar signs flickering gleefully in their eyes.
More recently, we’ve seen Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante sign the dotted line on moves to the Middle East to play for Al-Ittihad and there’s talk of Steven Gerrard snubbing a return to the Premier League to take charge of top-flight side Al-Ettifaq. Politics and ethics aside for a brief second, I thought Saudi Arabia were a total joy to watch in the last World Cup, punching well above their weight with some splendid football in their rather nice kit. But such a trend is obviously going to raise eyebrows and concerns in the wider footballing world.
It must feel like a huge loss for the MLS, who will be missing out on their chance to see legends of the game head Stateside, even though the likes of Lionel Messi and many others will manage to resist the lure of Saudi money. But as more and more players do follow the hard cash, surely we’ll see a more even split between big name European players rounding out their careers between America and Saudi Arabia respectively as the years roll by.
Since his move, Ronaldo has recently spoken of challenges he’s faced in adapting to the scorching heat and routines on the pitch despite saying he’s now used to such factors. But it’s not just players running their last minutes on the pitch either - seeing the likes of Gerrard go feels like a loss for the English game altogether from a management and even punditry perspective. Though Gerrard has earned the right to do what he wants, does it not feel like giving up when his services and the real tests that he could take on are over here on home soil?
It also begs the question as to what will happen to some of our own superstars in the foreseeable future. Could the Saudi league come swooping in for Mohamed Salah before long? Might Roberto Firmino swerve a more glamorous curtain-closer to his sparkling career for the money? Overall it feels like another cold and unromantic factor as to where the modern game is heading, especially around the massive shoulder shrug of Manchester City’s treble. I'd go and play for the Portland Timbers, personally, at least they have a bit of fun.
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