SIMON JORDAN: Liverpool and United have history, legacy and substance which Saudi Arabian clubs will never beat
There are three major events that changed football in this country and ushered in new eras with new rules of engagement — Sky, Roman Abramovich and Sheik Mansour.
Much is now being made of a potential fourth game-changer — the arrival of the jaw-dropping wealth and ambitions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This Middle Eastern financial onslaught is already taking the ridiculousness of football finances to a new and perhaps game-destabilising level.
Of course, this new development from this oil-rich nation looking for new ways to create, influence and gain access into environments that sport can bring comes with challenges and, certainly in the eyes of the flesh-trading opportunists known as agents, represents huge financial bounties to be had.
But let’s not forget that we have the best league in the world. There has been a lot of doom-mongering of late, suggesting the best players will no longer wish to play in Europe but I don’t see a brilliant talent like Jude Bellingham opting to play in the Saudi League over Real Madrid any time soon.
Premier League chief Richard Masters observed recently that we shouldn’t be concerned by the Saudis’ arrival. He’s wrong, of course we should be worried!
Masters was foolish to say that because the Saudis could easily destabilise the ecosystem of football. If they continue to pay mind-boggling salaries that are beyond the reach of the world’s biggest clubs then that will inevitably have a blowback effect on the economics of other leagues.
So we need to start laying down some ground rules to our own clubs. A basic fundamental that could easily be introduced is preventing English clubs from trading with Saudi Arabia after the European transfer window closes. That is common sense and something
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