Liverpool could face additional transfer uncertainty as Klopp agrees with Arteta

Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League clubs can only do transfers until September 1 and Jürgen Klopp has agreed with Mikel Arteta on a possible problem.

“The Answer Would Be No” | Jurgen Klopp On Mohamed Salah Saudi Arabia Rumours

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Liverpool and the rest of the clubs in Europe’s top leagues will be well aware by now of the impact of Saudi Arabia’s push for mega transfers.

For the Reds, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho have been snapped up. Neymar, Karim Benzema, Rúben Neves and Gabri Veiga are among the other interesting names to have made the move — interesting for varying reasons.

The interest in players is not going to go anywhere, either. The Saudi Pro League has put together a specific and well-backed plan to make its league one of the most competitive in the world and there is already some talk that UEFA could look to implement its teams in the Champions League.

Ultimately, it is going to take a few years for the standard to build. By the time Saudi Arabia can really compete, the likes of Benzema, Henderson and even Neymar are unlikely to still be there. But the trend of targeting over-30s has already begun to turn and the move for Veiga, a Celta Vigo wonderkid who could have signed for Napoli, is a big warning sign.

In the more immediate term, though, there is another big issue for Premier League sides to confront. The transfer deadline in most of Europe this year is September 1, with Premier League clubs having until 11pm UK time on Friday to complete deals, but clubs in Saudi Arabia can make purchases for almost another three weeks — until September 20.

Teams from the Premier League would have to wait until January to replace anyone who left between those dates, and Liverpool (and most likely everyone else) would therefore be unwilling to let any key player leave.

Interest in Mohamed Salah is unlikely to subside with Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad making clear its intentions this week — other stars including Luis Díaz have ambitiously been targeted at various points in the summer — but Liverpool will not sanction an exit for the Egyptian, who has shown no inkling that he would be keen to leave Anfield, either before September 1 or September 20.

“It is a competitor now; I think we have to change that,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said during his press conference, when asked about the possibility of Saudi teams targeting Premier League players (and potentially unsettling them) when English sides would be unable to source a replacement.

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Gunners duo Thomas Partey and Gabriel Magalhães have been linked with Saudi teams and Arteta could not rule out either leaving after the deadline for Premier League sides to make signings, the BBC reports, when departures are still permitted.

Transfer deadlines are different across the world and league formats are different. Liverpool is interested in Brazilian midfielder André Trindade, for instance, but the 22-year-old’s club, Fluminense, is unwilling to lose him mid-season. The Reds have so far respected that stance, however, and that is not quite the same as the new force in world football with a seemingly unlimited budget.

“In the past with Russia, long ago thankfully, they had a different transfer window and could still come [after the Premier League deadline],” Klopp said to reporters on Friday.

“It’s new, it’s challenging for everybody and we have to learn to deal with it. But the authorities should make clear that if you want to be part of the system, do your business at the same time as the others at least.”

Klopp and Arteta are likely to be in the majority when it comes to wanting alignment on transfer deadlines.

While Liverpool has sought to put out any speculation over an exit for Salah, for the 31-year-old and others, attempted Saudi temptation is here to stay. If it was to happen outside of the Premier League transfer window, that could be even more disruptive than it already has been.