Al Ittihad attempted to acquire Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah during the summer transfer window, however the attempt was unsuccessful.
Even with all the money in the world, Saudi Pro League clubs are unable to purchase supporters.
Players like N’Golo Kante, Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Neymar, Roberto Firmino, and Jordan Henderson have all moved to the kingdom in the past year. Additionally, Steven Gerrard was recruited to serve as Al-Ettifaq’s manager.
One of the main talking points from this season’s summer transfer window was the Saudi Pro League’s extravagant spending, as multiple clubs from the nation signed some of the biggest players in European football to enormous contracts.
And if Liverpool had not turned down a £150 million bid from Al Ittihad for Mohamed Salah in the summer transfer window, there might have been one more well-known player operating in the country. It was understood that the offer included £50 million in add-ons in addition to the £100 million upfront.
But people are just not showing up to see the stars in action. Just 447 people attended a recent Al-Wehda vs. Al-Khaleej match at the 38,000-capacity stadium of Al-Wehda.
Henderson, the former captain of Liverpool, played in front of barely 976 fans in September when his Al-Ettifaq team defeated Abha Club. Transfermarket records show that half of the Saudi Pro League teams have attendance averages of less than 5,000 each game.