Saudi moves for Marcus Rashford and Mohamed Salah threatened by ‘sell-before-you-buy’ dilemma
Any Saudi club planning to offer Marcus Rashford an escape route from Manchester United next month will need to sell before they can buy.
Rashford is on a list of elite Saudi Pro League (SPL) targets that also includes Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
But the SPL confirmed on Monday that all 18 of its clubs were at their maximum quota of eight foreign players over the age of 21.
The league said teams would be required to “terminate contracts, sell players, or deregister squad members” in order to add new players in the winter window.
“The SPL will work closely with clubs and the Financial Sustainability Committee to ensure compliance with league policies and regulations,” a league statement read.
The league confirmed 20 of the 36 slots for under-21 foreign players were still open and that it had held a series of “intensive workshops” with its clubs, in order to “assess their specific needs and objectives for the winter transfer window”.
“These workshops aim to provide tailored support to clubs, enabling them to continue achieving success on and off the pitch,” the statement said.
Rashford, Salah and De Bruyne are all regarded as players who have the right profiles to develop the SPL and elevate it on the world stage.
Saudi clubs keen on Rashford but is the feeling mutual?
Unlike the latter duo, Rashford – who has 3½ years left to run on a United deal worth £325,000 a week – is not out of contract at the end of this season, although the Saudis will not be fazed by the money involved in trying to land such an ambitious target.
Rashford would be of interest to the top four SPL clubs – Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli – although there has also been talk of newly promoted Al-Qadsiah, who are not one of the Public Investment Fund-owned clubs but are well-financed, wanting him.
The biggest stumbling block would be Rashford’s expected reluctance to quit top European football.
In a bombshell interview this month announcing he wanted a fresh challenge, the 27-year-old stressed he was desperate to revive his England career and knows that he must be playing top-level football to earn a recall under new head coach Thomas Tuchel.
The SPL has started its winter break and it is understood that if an offer is made for Rashford, it is far more likely to be in the summer rather than during the January window.
Waiting game for Salah and De Bruyne
The Saudis have waited for Salah and De Bruyne’s contracts to run down, but it remains to be seen whether they will agree new deals with Liverpool and City.
Esteve Calzada, the Al-Hilal chief executive, said at Leaders Week London in October that his club had reached their limit on foreign signings amid speculation linking the club with Salah, who told Sky Sports on Sunday that a conclusion to his contract situation was still “far away”.
Speculation has linked Al-Hilal’s marquee foreign player Neymar with a move to Inter Miami, which would free up a slot with the Riyadh club ahead of their participation in next summer’s inaugural 32-team Fifa Club World Cup.
De Bruyne has been linked with a move to Major League Soccer side San Diego, while City would also consider offering him a role at teams within their own football group when he eventually moves on.
