Villa flop Gerrard ‘set’ for Saudi management job as club also ‘pitches’ to Premier League winger
Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ettifaq are ‘set’ to appoint Steven Gerrard as their new manager and have also set their sights on a Premier League winger.
Gerrard has been out of work since losing his job as Aston Villa boss last October.
The former Liverpool captain took charge of 40 games at Villa Park and actually got off to a very good start before a woeful 2022.
He was given the job after winning one Scottish Premiership in three seasons at Rangers.
Gerrard has since been linked with the Polish national team and more recently with a move to Saudi Arabia.
Al Ettifaq were reportedly close to appointing the 43-year-old last month but talks broke down.
The Saudi side are now very close to getting their man, however.
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According to The Athletic, ‘Gerrard is set to take over Al Ettifaq’ after ‘initially turning down an offer after travelling to Saudi Arabia for talks in June’.
Talks ‘resumed’ last week and ‘senior figures at the club’ are now ‘increasingly confident’ they will appoint the ex-Villa head coach.
Gerrard could be joined at Al Ettifaq by Crystal Palace legend Wilfried Zaha, according to reports.
Zaha is now officially a free agent after his Palace contract expired at the end of June. The Eagles are reportedly eager to agree fresh terms with the Ivorian but reported efforts to make him their highest-paid player of all time have not worked.
The 30-year-old has been linked with a host of top European clubs, with Lazio one of the latest to express an interest, but the Saudi Pro League could end up being his next destination, even though the player has never played any continental football, let alone the Champions League, which he would be able to do so with the Serie A club.
And more specifically, Ettifaq have emerged as a possible destination for Zaha.
According to the Daily Mail, the Saudi side are ‘the latest to try and pitch to Zaha’. It is said, however, that the winger is ‘ideally looking’ to play in the Champions League.
He has had ‘a number of clubs come forward’ to sign him, but he is ‘yet to be convinced’.
Crystal Palace ‘remain open’ to keeping their legendary winger, but that seems unlikely at this stage.
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