By Efosa Taiwo
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has raised the alarm over what he labelled ‘sports washing’ as Saudi Arabian clubs continue to lure away the game’s biggest stars to the Middle East.
Over the past six months, clubs in Saudi Arabia have eased into the mainstream, attracting the best of football stars with mouth-watering deals difficult to turn down.
Already, the Saudi Pro League boasts of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante among several others.
The development, however, does not seem to be winding up anytime soon as they are avidly on the rampage to snap up more stars including Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, Arsenal’s Thomas Partey, Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy to mention a few on their radar
Reacting to the potential move of Silva to the Middle East, Carragher bemoaned their encroachment into football despite their hold on boxing and golf.
Carragher tweeted: “Bernardo Silva is in his peak years and has been one of the best players in Europe for the last five years!
“I wasn’t worried about the Saudi League taking players in their 30s; I was a touch worried with players below the elite (Neves), but if this happens, it feels like a game changer.
“Saudi have taken over golf, the big boxing fights, and now they want to take over football! This sports washing needs to be stopped! @premierleague @UEFA.