While Al-Nassr’s bid to team up Wilfried Zaha with Cristiano Ronaldo looks unlikely to happen, the Saudi Pro League could welcome two other household names over the summer.
According to the Guardian, the 30-year-old winger has no interest in leaving Europe anytime soon despite holding several rounds of talks with the Saudi outfit last week.
Having turned down a lucrative bid from Crystal Palace to become the club’s highest earner, the Ivory Coast international will depart Selhurst Park as a free agent at the end of June.
But despite being courted by Al-Nassr, Zaha’s proclivities for playing at the top level have sent Paris Saint-Germain a signal to launch an assault on his services.
While the ex-Manchester United flop seems set to deprive the Saudi Pro League of the privilege of his presence, others don’t share his view and are lining up a trip to the Middle East instead.
Real Madrid stalwart Luka Modric may soon follow in the footsteps of his long-term Los Blancos teammate Karim Benzema, who joined Al-Ittihad earlier this month.
Following a trophy-laden 11-year stint at the Santiago Bernabeu, the 37-year-old playmaker, whose contract expires in three weeks, is considering a switch to Al-Hilal.
Al-Hilal’s monstrous bid to lure Lionel Messi to the Gulf country hit a brick wall as the Argentine opted for a new adventure in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.
However, they remain hellbent on adding a major star to their squad in the coming months, with Modric featuring their wishlist close to the top.
Since the Croat is unlikely to renew his contract in Madrid, the Saudi outfit hope to capture his signature by offering him a two-year deal worth a whopping £60 million a season.
In addition to chasing some of the most prominent players on the market, the Saudis are equally interested in reinforcing their benches, hence Al-Ettifaq’s pursuit of Steven Gerrard.
After helping Rangers to a long-awaited Scottish Premiership title in 2021, the 43-year-old joined Aston Villa with high expectations, hoping to build a managerial career in the Premier League.
Unfortunately, the former Liverpool captain left Villa Park last October as a complete disappointment and has been out of practice ever since.
While his poor spell in Birmingham would probably deny him high-profile offers from Europe’s top-five leagues, Gerrard could repair his image in Saudi Arabia.
He’s believed to be entertaining Al-Ettifaq’s proposal to move to the Saudi Pro League, which will expand to 18 teams next season.
