‘We are going to scour Europe!’ – Steven Gerrard hints Saudi Pro League spending spree will resume in January with Al-Ettifaq eager to get ‘more competitive’
Al-Ettifaq manager Steven Gerrard has hinted that his team will raid European clubs once again in January for talents.
The Saudi Pro League’s heavy spending was one of the key talking points from the summer transfer window this season as several clubs from the country recruited some of the top names of European football with massive contracts.
Liverpool legend and former Aston Villa manager Gerrard, who joined Al-Ettifaq in the summer as their new coach, has vowed to add reinforcements to his squad and revealed that he plans to raid the European market once again.
Speaking to reporters, the English manager said: “To assure our fans, we are going to scour Europe for more options. But we’ll also, more importantly, need to scour locally to improve this squad to be more competitive.”
Among the notable signings that Gerrard made at his new club right after joining them were Champions League and Premier League-winning former Reds captain Jordan Henderson and Everton Demarai Gray. Despite the additions, Al-Ettifaq have had a difficult start to the season as they find themselves in seventh place in the league with 21 points after 12 matches.
The Dammam-based club will be next seen in action on Saturday when they face Al-Feiha in the Saudi Pro League.