Steven Gerrard CONFIRMED as new boss of Saudi side Al-Ettifaq, to be given millions for title charge

Steven Gerrard has been appointed as the new head coach of Al-Ettifaq, a Saudi Pro League side also considering signing Alvaro Morata and Philippe Coutinho for the Liverpool legend.

Having initially backed away from a move to Saudi Arabia, the 43-year-old has now accepted a lucrative offer from the Dammam-based club.

Al-Ettifaq representatives were in London on Monday to finalize Gerrard’s nomination ahead of confirmation.

Gerrard has agreed to the role following a renewed round of talks with the Saudi club, which is allocating millions to recruit players to help their new boss build a squad of global superstars.

Saudi sovereign wealth fund Public Invest Fund (PIF) has taken control of four of the Pro League’s biggest clubs, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli.

Having initially backed away from a move to Saudi Arabia, Gerrard has now accepted a lucrative offer to join Al-Ettifaq.

However, Ettifaq believes they can compete with the PIF-run clubs to challenge for the title next season. One of the players Ettifaq is considering playing is Brazilian playmaker Coutinho.

Gerrard and Coutinho have a long history of working together, playing together at Liverpool while the South American was signed by his former team-mate at Aston Villa.

The 31-year-old has a contract with Villa Park, but it remains to be seen whether he has a long-term future under Unai Emery. Coutinho’s performances were hampered last season by a series of injuries that also saw him miss Brazil’s World Cup season.

Similarly, Morata’s future at Atletico Madrid is also uncertain as the Spanish club is ready to let the former Chelsea striker leave this summer at a reduced fee.

Initial talks of a transfer to the Spanish striker have taken place in Al-Ettifaq’s hopes they can convince him to become one of Gerrard’s first signings.

However, Mail sports understands that Morata is also attracting interest from Italy this summer, with Champions League finalists Inter Milan and Jose Mourinho’s Roma believed to be among the interested clubs, while Al Hilal has also been heavily linked with the goalscorer.

Gerrard, who has been out of work since leaving Aston Villa in October, denied earlier this month that he would take the job in Saudi Arabia.

“I was invited there to look at a possible offer, I analyzed that, but where I am now, I’m not going to go into it,” he said.

Gerrard takes on his third managerial role after an impressive playing career

However, Gerrard is now convinced of Al-Ettifaq’s project to become the latest prominent figure to work in Saudi Arabia.

The club announced his arrival with a glossy video on their social media channels. Twitter footage shows highlights of his stellar playing career at Liverpool, before a bizarre post shows him speaking Arabic to the club’s fans.

A clearly uncomfortable Gerrard appears to say ‘Hello, my name is Steven Gerrard, I’m an Al-Ettifaqi’ ending with the phrase ‘goodbye’ in English.

Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK’s Director of Economic Affairs, responded to the move by accusing Saudi Arabia of putting their sportswashing into ‘overdrive’.

He said: “The massive influx of players and coaches to join Saudi Arabian football clubs on lucrative contracts is further evidence that Saudi sportswashing has gained momentum.

“Across multiple sports and multiple formats, the Saudi state is committing huge sums to wash its heavily tarnished image through sport and divert attention from a terrible human rights record.

“Under Mohammed bin Salman, there has been a frightening crackdown on human rights, with peaceful activists jailed, 196 people executed last year alone, and justice still lacking after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Saudi football strategy appears to be to continue ramping up deals with big names to build momentum for a bid to host the 2030 World Cup. FIFA must apply strict human rights risk assessments to any Saudi bid for 2030, but we also need to see FIFA, star signings and high-profile executives like Steven Gerrard speaking out about Saudi Arabia’s horrific human rights record.”

Wilfried Zaha is out of contract with Crystal Palace on June 30 and is considering his options

Mail sports also reported on Monday that Al-Ettifaq is considered the last to try to pitch for forward Wilfried Zaha. The Ivory Coast international is a free agent and is ideally looking for a Champions League side.

A number of clubs have come forward, but have yet to convince him to commit. Crystal Palace remains open to a new signing and the Saudi Pro League is also making efforts as he weighs in on a club record £200,000 a week from Palace, as well as multiple money-making offers in England and abroad.

Gerrard had initially decided against going to Saudi Arabia, but talks with the Dammam-based side have resumed in recent days – and he has reportedly agreed to join as their new head coach next season.

Zaha recently sent supporters into a frenzy with a cryptic photo he posted to his social media a day before his contract with the Eagles expired on June 30.

While pondering his options, he posted a photo on Instagram of himself at the club’s Copers Cope training ground in Beckenham. Many fans speculated that this was a sign that he would stay at Selhurst Park, but his future remains unclear.

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