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MPH

England-based players moving to the Saudi league.

By MPH, in General Football and Sport

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MPH

MPH

Posted
Posted

I just wondered if this was worthy of its own thread..


 

Demarai Gray latest player to be linked with moving to the Saudi league.

 

few things I’m thinking of…

 

will this have a positive or negative effect on of the premier league? Will the amount of wages they are willing to offer have an effect on what we are going to be able to get players for ‘over here’?
 

I am imagining that every agent of every single player in the prem is going to be on the blower to a Saudi team…

 

 

I wouldn’t describe Demarai as a top player in anyway but he’s not an aging player looking for one last pay day either…

 

 

im just watching all very carefully and I’m not saying things will get tough to sign players or anything like that but I’m watching the events for sure to see what effect it will have…

 

 

id be interested in anyone sharing their thoughts..

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Babylon

Babylon

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, MPH said:

I just wondered if this was worthy of its own thread..


 

Demarai Gray latest player to be linked with moving to the Saudi league.

 

few things I’m thinking of…

 

will this have a positive or negative effect on of the premier league? Will the amount of wages they are willing to offer have an effect on what we are going to be able to get players for ‘over here’?
 

I am imagining that every agent of every single player in the prem is going to be on the blower to a Saudi team…

 

 

I wouldn’t describe Demarai as a top player in anyway but he’s not an aging player looking for one last pay day either…

 

 

im just watching all very carefully and I’m not saying things will get tough to sign players or anything like that but I’m watching the events for sure to see what effect it will have…

 

 

id be interested in anyone sharing their thoughts..

Some see it as just a job, some don't... it's perfect for those who day though, take the money whilst you can. 

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grobyfox1990

grobyfox1990

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Doesn't make sense to me unless you've done it all such as Benzema/Ronaldo/Messi etc.

 

I'd be disapointed if I was a Chelsea fan, for example, and Mendy was going there. It's not ambitious.

The Saudi's are invested in Clearlake, it makes sense from a Chelsea perspective, I cannot imagine where they have got the leverage for their spending bonanza from, never mind the FFP implications. They need a steady source of marked up cash which the Saudi's can offer.

 

I don't think the Saudi's are a threat to European football at all, we have our own proven ways of money laundering, they have theirs. The highest level of the game and the best players will continue to be here.

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Sampson

Sampson

Posted
Posted (edited)
37 minutes ago, Lionator said:

It's much worse than that as there's genuine corruption involved in this, whereas the Chinese Super League stuff was just adventurism. 

I’m not convinced. Who’s going to be watching the Saudi league? The US and China have tried this before and they both at least have massive populations who maybe could be won over, whereas Saudi doesn’t. Saudi would need to convince Europeans and South Americans to watch to realistically to make any money off it or to become a serious competitor as they don’t have the same population numbers, and even if everything went perfectly for them it would take 1-2 generations for people to switch allegiances really.

 

I think this Saudi attempt at getting into the football market has even weaker foundations than MLS or Chinese Super League. I think it will fizzle out in the same way, I can’t see these bids still coming in in 3-4 years time.

Edited by Sampson
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filbertway

filbertway

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Sampson said:

I’m not convinced. Who’s going to be watching the Saudi league? The US and China have tried this before and they both at least have massive populations who maybe could be won over, whereas Saudi doesn’t. Saudi would need to convince Europeans and South Americans to watch to realistically become a serious competition as they don’t have the same population numbers, and even if everything went perfectly for them it would take 1-2 generations for people to switch allegiances really.

 

I think this Saudi attempt at getting into the football market has even weaker foundations than MLS or Chinese Super League. I think it will fizzle out in the same way, I can’t see these bids still coming in in 3-4 years time.

There seems to be a whole new generation of internet football fans that idolise players rather than teams. If they can attract enough big names and then sort out a top quality streaming service that can cater to multiple different languages, then it wouldn't surprise me if it developed a bit of a cult following quickly that could easily snowball.

 

They must have some kind of plan right? It could well end up being a fruitless exercise, but I just can't see the sense in throwing billions into a project that doesn't have any direction or solid plan behind it.

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CosbehFox

CosbehFox

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, filbertway said:

There seems to be a whole new generation of internet football fans that idolise players rather than teams. If they can attract enough big names and then sort out a top quality streaming service that can cater to multiple different languages, then it wouldn't surprise me if it developed a bit of a cult following quickly that could easily snowball.

 

They must have some kind of plan right? It could well end up being a fruitless exercise, but I just can't see the sense in throwing billions into a project that doesn't have any direction or solid plan behind it.

They will push for inclusion into the Champions League or more likely it's about trying to make the World Club Championship have some credit. In the process, buying media right etc and going all LIV Tour on it. 

 

Either way, they achieve that - what's the end game? Their society involves no challenge to their power. Which they won't get in Sport because the beauty of Sport (even the internet fan) is the drama of it. You see that in the success of Netflix stories on Tennis and F1 which have helped proved their popularity but the audiences were more interested in the better story rather than the winning story. 

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Sampson said:

I’m not convinced. Who’s going to be watching the Saudi league? The US and China have tried this before and they both at least have massive populations who maybe could be won over, whereas Saudi doesn’t. Saudi would need to convince Europeans and South Americans to watch to realistically to make any money off it or to become a serious competitor as they don’t have the same population numbers, and even if everything went perfectly for them it would take 1-2 generations for people to switch allegiances really.

 

I think this Saudi attempt at getting into the football market has even weaker foundations than MLS or Chinese Super League. I think it will fizzle out in the same way, I can’t see these bids still coming in in 3-4 years time.

 

1 hour ago, filbertway said:

There seems to be a whole new generation of internet football fans that idolise players rather than teams. If they can attract enough big names and then sort out a top quality streaming service that can cater to multiple different languages, then it wouldn't surprise me if it developed a bit of a cult following quickly that could easily snowball.

 

They must have some kind of plan right? It could well end up being a fruitless exercise, but I just can't see the sense in throwing billions into a project that doesn't have any direction or solid plan behind it.

It makes sense that there is no business model for a long term profit if the intent of the project is just to launder dirty money in the short term.

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Finnegan

Finnegan

Posted
Posted

The fact that the windows have been open a week or so and they're already down to trying to sign Demarai Gray tells you everything you need to know about how top footballers view going to play in Saudi. 

 

As I said in another thread, not only will they not become a major threat to the Premier League, I don't actually think they want to. 

 

They want to improve the general image of Saudi, it's quite obvious they've been on a significant sportswashing drive for the last few years. Having a domestic league with Ronaldo and a few big Premier League names will help that. 

 

But they're not going to be naive enough to think they can be the "biggest" league in the world, that's why they're desperate to buy in to it with Newcastle and Chelsea etc.

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kenny

kenny

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

The fact that the windows have been open a week or so and they're already down to trying to sign Demarai Gray tells you everything you need to know about how top footballers view going to play in Saudi. 

 

As I said in another thread, not only will they not become a major threat to the Premier League, I don't actually think they want to. 

 

They want to improve the general image of Saudi, it's quite obvious they've been on a significant sportswashing drive for the last few years. Having a domestic league with Ronaldo and a few big Premier League names will help that. 

 

But they're not going to be naive enough to think they can be the "biggest" league in the world, that's why they're desperate to buy in to it with Newcastle and Chelsea etc.

I reckon entry into the Champions League is a real possibility. Few brown paper bags here or there and its done.

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Finnegan

Finnegan

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, kenny said:

I reckon entry into the Champions League is a real possibility. Few brown paper bags here or there and its done.

 

They don't need to do that though. They just need companies owned or financed by the royal fund to buy clubs in multiple countries and pay UEFA to pretend the money isn't all coming from (or going back to) the same place and it isn't really a conflict of interest. 

 

They own Newcastle, they finance Chelsea and now Strasbourg. Given that Ligue 1 isn't majorly competitive it shouldn't be difficult for Strasbourg to spend enough to near permanently buy a Champions League place. You'd expect in future years one of Newcastle or Chelsea (if not both) will always be in the Champs League. 

 

Wouldn't be difficult for them to repeat the trick with a La Liga and a Serie A club. 

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filbertway

filbertway

Posted
Posted
41 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

 

It makes sense that there is no business model for a long term profit if the intent of the project is just to launder dirty money in the short term.

Is it not the state itself though? What's the need for laundering money, who are they accountable to?

 

Genuine questions btw as I clearly have no idea about any of this lol

 

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purpleronnie

purpleronnie

Posted
Posted

I think they'll continue to throw money at it just like the Chinese did, and i cant see it working in the long term, like people have said there isnt the population to sustain it.  They'd be better off targeting other sports and getting those sports to have tournaments over there.

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 minutes ago, filbertway said:

Is it not the state itself though? What's the need for laundering money, who are they accountable to?

 

Genuine questions btw as I clearly have no idea about any of this lol

 

It's a good question to ask, and my answer would be that there is some money even states can't really be seen handling.

 

Of course, as you point out, the odds of actual accountability are pretty low anyway, but there's no risk even of reputational (as opposed to legal) damage this way and it has the add on effect of good PR.

Edited by leicsmac
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Basildon Fox

Basildon Fox

Posted
Posted

This smacks of corruption.  Yet another nail in the coffin of football.

 

You can see the conflict of interest between the 2.  Guaranteed to get the "big 7" out of the way of FFP every year.

 

Modern football is absolute dog shit.  Fixed as anything.  FIFA and UEFA making fortunes so do not give a crap.

 

If it wasn't for my love of Leicester I would be done with this crap.  I read the non-league thread earlier and have never really got the 2nd club lower down the league thing but I am coming around to the idea.

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grobyfox1990

grobyfox1990

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, filbertway said:

Is it not the state itself though? What's the need for laundering money, who are they accountable to?

 

Genuine questions btw as I clearly have no idea about any of this lol

 

They will be selling oil to all sorts of embargoed states via all sorts of sanctioned individuals. That money cannot just enter the Western banking system where it is much safer, it has to be cleaned up. Investment in football dealings will be more than enough for some Compliance freak to tick off on his checklist

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grobyfox1990

grobyfox1990

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

Just announced Jeddah has made a bid for the World Club Cup. I have no doubt that FIFA have been consulted on this. 

This make sense, give them the 24 team club world cup, clubs will have to take strong teams and try to win it as the prize money and commercial opportunities will be astronomical. 

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

They will be selling oil to all sorts of embargoed states via all sorts of sanctioned individuals. That money cannot just enter the Western banking system where it is much safer, it has to be cleaned up. Investment in football dealings will be more than enough for some Compliance freak to tick off on his checklist

Possibly not just oil too. Some arms on the side that they can turn a profit on, perhaps?

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