The Arab dream may end…for some: many players want to return to Europe – internationally

The stars who arrived in Saudi Arabia this summer could give up their millions and return to the football elite

The latest case is that of Jordan Henderson. The English midfielder moved to Al-Ettifaq in the summer for 15 million euros, coming from Liverpool, and receives more than 500,000 euros per week in the Saudi League, but he wants to abandon the project. According to the English press, the 33-year-old is unhappy and has interested parties in England, the Netherlands and Germany. Ajax is the strongest name, joining Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen. The former Liverpool captain is not alone. His former teammate Roberto Firmino is also seeking to leave Saudi Arabia. In the case of the Brazilian striker, he was relegated to the bench after the arrival of Matthias Geisel to Al-Ahly. Marco Silva's Fulham and Sheffield United have already expressed interest in the 31-year-old. The Brazilian press claims that Firmino may return to Brazil.

In addition to former Liverpool players, there is a Portuguese who wants to return to the elite. We are talking about Jota, who left Celtic for the Etihad for about 30 million euros, in a deal that surprised the fans. The 24-year-old winger played just a few minutes and did not convince the Saudis. The fate of the former Benfica player is already under discussion. According to journalist Rudy Galetti, three clubs will discuss loaning him, one of them from Saudi Arabia. Karim Benzema, Jota's teammate, may have an uncertain future.

Recall that the French striker was recently involved in another controversy. The 36-year-old left Jeddah, missing the final match of the year, but it later emerged that the player would be in Madrid, duly cleared by the Federation. Despite the contract worth a million dollars, the French believe that Benzema will regret it.

Of course, everyone does what they want, but it was important to make their exit successful. However, I remember that he wanted to finish his career at Real Madrid and he was given this opportunity. He could have left with the big door after winning many titles and winning the Ballon d'Or. “We missed out on moving to an artificial league,” said former player and coach Jean-Michel Larque.

Gabri Vega was one of the most prominent stars in the Spanish League in the previous season, and contrary to all expectations, he decided to join Al-Ahly instead of clubs such as Napoli. But despite his talent, the Spaniard could return to Celta Vigo, the club he left for 30 million euros. The 21-year-old midfielder played 11 matches (899 minutes) and scored just one goal for the Saudis.

In addition to the players, many coaches left the Middle East. Names like Nuno Espirito Santo and Rudi Garcia were sacked and later returned to Europe. Thus, we can conclude that despite the millions invested, Saudi football does not convince some of the participants who joined the project.

author: John Cruz