Al-Hilal make £43m bid for Liverpool attacker as Reds star is labelled ‘stupid’ over Saudi interest
Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal have launched a £43m bid to sign Liverpool winger Luis Diaz this summer, according to reports.
Liverpool are getting a lot of interest from Saudi Arabia in their players with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson both the subject of offers in recent days.
Al-Ittihad have made a £40m offer for Fabinho with the Brazilian understood to be keen on a transfer after being left out of Jurgen Klopp’s squad for their pre-season trip to Germany.
Henderson is with his team-mates on their pre-season camp but he has too been offered a lucrative payday in Saudi Arabia, with Al-Ettifaq, who are currently managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, outting a £700k-a-week contract on the table.
And now Portuguese newspaper Record claim Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal have offered Liverpool €50m (£43m) for former Porto winger Diaz, who only joined the Reds 18 months ago in deal worth a potential €60m.
Al Hilal ‘intends to hire’ the Colombian this summer to add to Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, while another Saudi side are ‘also interested in the player’.
READ MORE: Should Liverpool refuse to sell Fabinho and Henderson to Saudi Arabia on principle?
But the report adds that it is ‘very unlikely that the Reds will agree to sell’ for that price ‘not least because’ Diaz ‘is a player that Jurgen Klopp likes’.
Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf thinks Fabinho and other Premier League players going to Saudi Arabia are being “stupid” as they have years left at the top level in Europe.
Leboeuf told ESPN: “I understand, if you are over 30 or you are 32 or 33, you are Jordan Henderson or you are some others like Ronaldo and Koulibaly, then going there it’s only fair if you want to get some money and put your family safe.
“If I see players below 30, sorry, but I would say it’s stupid because they have some years to give to the best leagues in the world and they shouldn’t go there.
“I want to say that I am sad. I remember when he was at the top. He was one of the main players. Liverpool became so successful because it’s due to players like him, who came to the Premier League and showed their talent. Fabinho was one of them.
“When he was in the middle of the park with Henderson together. They were absolutely fantastic. Perhaps two of the best defensive midfielders in the world.”
Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United at the end of 2022 to make the move to Al Nassr and the Portugal international reckons the Saudi Pro League is better than Major League Soccer.
When asked about possibly making a move to the MLS to join rival Lionel Messi, Ronaldo replied: “The Saudi league is better than MLS.
“I opened the way to the Saudi league, and now all the players are coming here.”
And Ronaldo is now convinced that the Saudi Pro League can be built up to become one of the best leagues in world football.
“In one year, more and more top players will come to Saudi. In a year the Saudi league will overtake the Turkish league and Dutch league,” Ronaldo added.
“I’m 100 percent sure I won’t return to any European club. I’m 38 years old. And European football has lost a lot of quality. The only valid one and still doing good is the Premier League. They’re way ahead of all the other leagues.”
