If there was anyone left believing that the Saudi Pro League were just going to be another flash in the pan like the Chinese Super League was, news of Steven Gerrard’s first two targets for Al Ettifaq will surely have Liverpool supporters sitting up and taking notice.
The former Reds captain and talisman was confirmed as the new manager of the Saudi giants, and he clearly isn’t wasting any time on setting his standards at the highest level.
According to 90Min, both Jordan Henderson and Aston Villa’s Philippe Coutinho are on his radar.
Former team-mates of Gerrard, it will be interesting to see if either player will firstly be allowed to leave their current clubs, and if there’s an indication whether a deal is there to be done, whether the players themselves will be tempted by the vast riches expected to be on offer.
The outlet also go on to note that yet another former Liverpool star could be of interest to Gerrard: Paris Saint-Germain’s Gini Wijnaldum.
It shouldn’t really come as a surprise that Gerrard is targeting players that he knows from his own playing career, as he will understand exactly what each can bring to the party.
If he can organise a semblance of a decent squad this summer and then continue to add to it over forthcoming windows, there’s no reason why he can’t be a success in the Pro League before coming back to manage Liverpool in the future if that option opes up for him.