Al-Ettifaq have been linked with a move for Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood and it was reported that the Saudi side were prepared to offer him a way out of Manchester.
Neil Custis, from The Sun, had reported that they were prepared to offer the forward £10 million a season to make the move to the Middle Eastern side but is now seemingly dead in the water.
Steven Gerrard, manager of Al-Ettifaq, posted on his social media page with a screenshot of the story and captioned the rumours as ‘fake news’.
Manchester United confirmed on Monday that Greenwood would be leaving the club following an internal investigation. Focus has now turned to how the one-time capped former England international would continue his career, with a move abroad likely.
He had been linked with a move to Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma but that now seems unlikely after reports yesterday stated Mourinho didn’t want to get involved with the English forward so that move, which was discussed by TalkSport, now seems highly unlikely.
Saudi Arabia’s reputation
It seemed likely that if the forward were to move this summer then the obvious choice would be to the Saudi Pro League. A league that is far away from the glare of European football and one that would provide Greenwood with a fresh start.
However, according to the BBC, that scenario may well be unlikely. A source reportedly told the BBC that a move to the Pro League seems unlikely due to the league’s focus on women’s football and not wanting to damage its reputation in the eyes of the viewers.
Alongside the appointment of Gerrard as their new boss, Al-Ettifaq have signed several former Premier League stars.
Chief among them is former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who sensationally left the Reds for a move to the Middle East last month. So a move for Greenwood made sense but it now seems the Middle Eastern side isn’t an option for the 21-year-old.