2023 Summer transfer window - hopes, needs, expectations and rumours.

[Risso]

As I said before though, it's not directly comparable. Golf is a game for individuals, so if they get say, 20 of the top 40 players in the world to sign up, they've taken over half the sport in no time at all. Golfers also don't have fans of one player who take over a whole golf course just to watch that player. Golfers also just carry on playing most of their games on the same courses around the world that they did before.

To get anywhere close to that in football they'd have to take on FIFA, UEFA, and the incredibly powerful English, Spanish, Italian, German and French leagues, with a lot of teams in there who aren't short of a bob or two themselves. So sure, they're picking off a few players at the moment, and their league may actually become half decent after a few years, but I don't see how that leads to a pathway to them getting any more of a toehold in European football.

true but they are also buying up clubs in Europe etc now so their sphere of influence is growing. Plus we know FIFA UEFA etc can easily be bought by bags of cash

They've bought 75% of Newcastle. Who else?

might have a hidden stake in Chelsea and other clubs. I was referring more to the Middle East / Arab owners so including Abu Dhabi / Qatar etc as they will pool together to drive change in my opinion.

The conversation was about Saudi Arabia and them doing to football what LIV did to golf. In any case, Saudi and the UAE are big rivals in the region, both economically and politically. The UAE have been doing for years what Saudi Arabia is only really getting going with now.

[Villatillidie25]

Don't we just wait it out until oil runs out....

Seriously though, it's obscene and disgusting to observe sports washing by deplorable regimes on this level and how weak the challenge to it has been from associations in supposedly Liberal countries pursuing a sustainability agenda.

Trouble is, those liberal countries need the black gold so they can only protest/push so much before they back down (& that isn't much)

[Villatillidie25]

That’s the thing. The Saudi league only becomes relevant if the media pander to the galactico footballers.

They need/want a return on their investment but if no-one is interested in “Ronaldo” it will eventually collapse.

They don't need a return on their investment to be honest and they could easily see sports-washing / seat at the table in a new European League etc. etc. as their ROI, rather than specifically a cash return

[lovejoy]

My gut feel is that he'll go to Saudi. I'm only reluctant to state this as it's Drummonds reputation on the line. But I'm basing my view on guess work and he's a facts man.

[ChicagoLion]

That’s the thing. The Saudi league only becomes relevant if the media pander to the galactico footballers.

They need/want a return on their investment but if no-one is interested in “Ronaldo” it will eventually collapse.

They don't need a return on their investment to be honest and they could easily see sports-washing / seat at the table in a new European League etc. etc. as their ROI, rather than specifically a cash return

True, they are playing a long game backed up with trillions of $ and decades away from zero oil.

[Dogtanian]

You can prove anything with facts.

[RamboandBruno]

I think Monty is right, the players won’t say anything, why would they. Thats not the same as saying they will stay out there for years at a time, they won’t need to. For players like Henderson, Benzema, Ronaldo, that won’t matter, but for the younger players going, i don’t see how if they go at 25/26, they come back and are able to play at the level of the English or Spanish top league at say 28/29. Financially they obviously wont need to, its whether they are ready to semi retire in the way Messi and Ronaldo are now, without the profile of those players and a young age for a footballer.

[eamonn]

My gut feel is that he'll go to Saudi. I'm only reluctant to state this as it's Drummonds reputation on the line. But I'm basing my view on guess work and he's a facts man.

Apparently Drummond has been offered a Player Liaison role at Al Nassr. 10m USD per annum and a few spare Russian roubles in case he wants to take on Putin.

[pauliewalnuts]

You have to wonder about Jordan Henderson, mind. Highly vocal in his support of LGBTQ+ rights when it suits him, fucks off to a vile abusive hell hole where they execute gay people when someone waves a load of money at him.

I mean, how much more money does he actually need?

I also bet playing for fucking Al-Jarreau or whatever they're called turns out to be no obstacle to getting picked every time by Southgate, either.

[RamboandBruno]

You have to wonder about Jordan Henderson, mind. Highly vocal in his support of LGBTQ+ rights when it suits him, fucks off to a vile abusive hell hole where they execute gay people when someone waves a load of money at him.

I mean, how much more money does he actually need?

I also bet playing for fucking Al-Jarreau or whatever they're called turns out to be no obstacle to getting picked every time by Southgate, either.

Yes they were trying to spin it on talkshite this morning, that maybe he’s going out there to try and change things…literally nearly wet myself laughing. He’s getting more analysis than some other players going, but he can’t have it both ways and be this ‘campaigning’ footballer for LGBTQ rights amongst other things and then just abandon all that for the bucks….massive hypocrite.

[Monty]

What, is Henderson some revolutionary Hanbali jurisprudence reformer?

[dr.chekov]

You have to wonder about Jordan Henderson, mind. Highly vocal in his support of LGBTQ+ rights when it suits him, fucks off to a vile abusive hell hole where they execute gay people when someone waves a load of money at him.

I mean, how much more money does he actually need?

I also bet playing for fucking Al-Jarreau or whatever they're called turns out to be no obstacle to getting picked every time by Southgate, either.

Yes they were trying to spin it on talkshite this morning, that maybe he’s going out there to try and change things…literally nearly wet myself laughing. He’s getting more analysis than some other players going, but he can’t have it both ways and be this ‘campaigning’ footballer for LGBTQ rights amongst other things and then just abandon all that for the bucks….massive hypocrite.

Yeah, that is freakin ridiculous. Like you say, massive hypocrite.

[algy]

You have to wonder about Jordan Henderson, mind. Highly vocal in his support of LGBTQ+ rights when it suits him, fucks off to a vile abusive hell hole where they execute gay people when someone waves a load of money at him.

I mean, how much more money does he actually need?

I also bet playing for fucking Al-Jarreau or whatever they're called turns out to be no obstacle to getting picked every time by Southgate, either.

Can't say I understand it either really. I mean, really how much money does anyone actually need? You can only eat so many meals, go on so many holidays, drive so many fast cars etc.

But you look at that Zahawi bloke trying to diddle the country out of £4.8m tax. I mean, fuck, how much money are you earning that you get whacked with that tax bill? And you still feel like that's not enough for you? Bloody hell...

Long come to the conclusion that money is a worse, more addictive drug than any.

[RamboandBruno]

What, is Henderson some revolutionary Hanbali jurisprudence reformer?

Nope just a footballer who has been outspoken on LGTBQ rights who has then taken loads of money to live in a country where they execute people for being homosexual, nothing more or less, think he’s a hypocrite or don’t?

[pauliewalnuts]

What, is Henderson some revolutionary Hanbali jurisprudence reformer?

Nope just a footballer who has been outspoken on LGTBQ rights who has then taken loads of money to live in a country where they execute people for being homosexual, nothing more or less, think he’s a hypocrite or don’t?

It's a reference to the bizarre suggestion that he's going out there "to change things" which was dished out as an excuse for him yesterday