Manager of Liverpool, Juergen Klopp has appealed to FIFA, the global soccer governing body, to investigate the situation where Saudi Arabia’s transfer window closes three weeks after Europe’s.
He is concerned that major European leagues might suffer from losing players without the ability to replace them adequately.
While the transfer window for the Premier League concludes on September 1, aligned with most of Europe’s top leagues, the Saudi Pro League permits clubs to make signings until September 20.
Liverpool has already experienced the departure of three crucial players to Saudi clubs, including captain Jordan Henderson and midfielder Fabinho, along with striker Roberto Firmino, who left on a free transfer.
“The influence of Saudi Arabia is massive at the moment,” Klopp told reporters on Tuesday, a day before their pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich in Singapore.
“Pretty much the worst thing I think is that the transfer window in Saudi Arabia is open three weeks longer. If I am right, I heard something like that, then at least in Europe that’s not helpful.
“UEFA (Europe’s soccer body) or FIFA must find solutions for that. But in the end, at this moment, I don’t know exactly what will happen. It’s already influential for us but we will have to learn to deal with it… Time will show.”
Saudi Arabia have flexed their financial might by luring some of the best players from European clubs with lucrative contracts, including French Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema and his World Cup winning compatriot N’Golo Kante, Sadio Mane among others.
The European exodus began last year when Al-Nassr completed the marquee signing of Cristiano Ronaldo soon after the World Cup in Qatar, making the Portugal forward the highest-paid athlete in the world.