Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq launch bizarre attack on Saudi rivals over Mo Salah transfer as they announce own Prem swoop
AL-ETTIFAQ poked fun at Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Ittihad with a bizarre nod to Liverpool in Demarai Gray’s announcement video.
Gray, 27, completed an £8million transfer to Al-Ettifaq from Everton on Thursday.
The Dammam-based side confirmed his arrival with a retro video game-inspired clip on social media.
The video opens with ‘Ettifaq Transfers’ before Liverpool’s badge pops up on the screen.
It then transitions to a picture of Mohamed Salah, but an image of Jurgen Klopp immediately appears with the word “No!” before Gray is eventually announced as an Al-Ettifaq player.
The extraordinary clip alludes to Al-Ittihad’s transfer pursuit of Salah.
Al-Ittihad have been pushing to sign the 31-year-old in recent weeks.
The Tigers want to make him the face of the Saudi Pro League, but Liverpool are reluctant to sell.
Anfield officials have already rejected a £150m bid for the winger, but Al-Ittihad are prepared to return with a world-record £215m offer in a last-ditch attempt to sign him before the Saudi transfer window shuts on Thursday evening.
Salah received a huge David Beckham-like offer to join Nuno Espirito Santo’s side last week.
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The Saudi Pro League giants tabled a five-year deal with a basic salary of around £100million along with a private jet or unlimited plane tickets for his family and the chance to become an an ambassador for tourism and investments in Saudi Arabia.
There have also been discussions surrounding the possibility of Salah acquiring shares of a team in future – similar to the terms that saw Beckham move to the MLS in 2007.