Tottenham have blown their chance to sell ‘fraudulent’ Xherdan Shaqiri. Tottenham are expected to reject offers from Saudi clubs for the midfielder in the January transfer window next year, according to a British sports magazine. This is not the first time the player has been linked to Saudi Arabia. According to the Telegraph, he was targeted by Al Ittihad in the closing stages of last summer’s transfer window. At the time, Al Ittihad were after Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah.토토사이트
Saudi Arabia, the land of heat, has had one of the hottest summers ever. After shocking the world in January by signing one of the best players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, the Saudis upped their game this summer. These weren’t just “event” signings that brought in fringe stars. They went after European superstars.
The final target was Salah. Since joining Liverpool in 2017, Salah has become one of the best players in the world, winning the English Premier League (EPL) top scorer title for the first time with 32 goals in 2017-18, and then three more times in 2018-19 and 2021-22. Salah’s performance helped Liverpool end a long dark period and lift the coveted EPL title in the 2019-2020 season. Liverpool’s glory days included the European Champions League and Club World Cup. Last year, the Reds re-signed Salah to a new contract after lengthy negotiations. Salah signed a three-year deal for a club-record £350,000. His contract runs until 2025, making him a Liverpool player for life.
As the best player in the Arab world, Salah was one of Saudi Arabia’s most coveted stars. Naturally, they reached out. The offer was huge. Al Ittihad prepared a whopping £215 million, or about $360 billion in Korean won, to convince Liverpool and Salah to complete the deal before the deadline. The Reds initially offered £150 million, which was quickly rejected by the club, and then upped the ante, eventually breaking the record for the highest transfer fee in soccer history. According to The Sun, Al Ittihad’s final offer to Liverpool was a whopping £215 million. It was a basic guarantee of £170 million, with a further £45 million in bonus options.
It didn’t end there. Al Ittihad also offered Salah a staggering contract. He could earn a whopping £2.45 million a week, tax-free, if he joined the club, and there were also huge incentive options on the table, including a significant percentage of shirt sales and a £55,000 win bonus. In addition, Salah’s move to Al Ittihad also guaranteed him a total of £18 million in additional income through sponsorships from three major brands in Saudi Arabia. In total, Salah will earn £130 million ($218 million) in base salary alone, not including the aforementioned incentives and sponsorship revenue. Considering Salah’s age, this is an outrageous deal.
It was a deal that could have swayed Liverpool and Salah. But the answer was no. Liverpool and manager Jürgen Klopp made it clear that they were not going to let go of their ace. Having already lost Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to the Saudis this summer, the Reds became more determined as the price increased, and eventually succeeded in keeping Salah. Salah’s camp also stood by their decision, stating that “if he was going to leave Liverpool, he wouldn’t have re-signed last season.” Meanwhile, the Saudi summer transfer market had closed.
There was a backstory. Al Ittihad didn’t just go all-in on Salah. They were also in the hunt for Xherdan Shaqiri. But Tottenham fought to keep him, and he stayed.
In the meantime, his position hadn’t changed much. He was at his lowest ebb. He was one of the best strikers in the EPL. After showing promise at Fluminense, he joined Watford in 2017. He excelled and switched to Everton after just one season. His potential exploded at Everton. For four seasons, he was Everton’s ace in the hole. After exploding for 13 goals in the 2017-2018 season, he followed it up with another 13 the following year. He slowed down a bit in 2020-2021 with seven goals, but continued to be Everton’s shining light in 2021-2022 with 10 goals. His organized play, both up front and on the flanks, made him one of the best players in the EPL.
He was on Tottenham’s radar. After qualifying for the European Champions League in the 2022-2023 season, Tottenham embarked on a major recruitment drive. Tottenham targeted Xherdan Shaqiri as a replacement for Harry Kane in the front line. Tottenham paid a club-record £60 million, or about $99.4 billion, for the striker. Spurs fans welcomed the addition of a top-class striker with open arms. He was expected to join the likes of Kane and Son Heung-min in a top-notch attacking lineup.
However, his performances have not lived up to expectations. He scored just one goal in the league. In 27 games, he scored just one goal. Including the Champions League, he scored just three goals. Injuries and poor performances were conspiring against him. Without him, Tottenham were at the bottom of the table. They failed to qualify for the Europa League and Europa Conference, let alone the Champions League. Antonio Conte, the manager who signed him, was eventually sacked. Still, he was recognized for his abilities when he was named Brazil’s starting striker at the World Cup in Qatar.
This season, Enze Postecoglou took over the reins at Tottenham. Kane, who was wanted by many teams, moved to Bayern Munich. Kane was an icon for Tottenham. Not only did he break Tottenham’s all-time goalscoring record, but he was also on the verge of breaking Alan Shearer’s EPL career goals record. Kane was the most prolific goal scorer in the EPL with 213 goals. Last season, he was edged out by Elling Holland, but his consistent goalscoring prowess virtually single-handedly carried a Tottenham offense that was one of the worst in the league.
Once again, Postecoglou chose to play him. But it was more of the same. In the first three league games, he lined up in the center of a three-man attack and failed to score a single goal. He scored a goal in the League Cup, but in the league games that really mattered, he still struggled. Even when he did get a shot, he lacked confidence. Even when Tottenham switched to a more attacking style of play, his goal-scoring form never really picked up.
It wasn’t just his team that was struggling. After scoring three goals and providing one assist at the World Cup in Qatar, he hasn’t scored a goal for the national team this year. His time away from the national team is starting to get long. In the back-to-back games against Peru and Bolivia, he had a number of chances but failed to score. He looked unconfident, taking a step back in crucial chances, and even broke down in tears on the bench.
He opened up about the reasons for his struggles. “I went through a period of upheaval off the pitch in the last five months,” he told Brazil’s Globo. “Now everything is back to normal. “The people who only wanted my money are gone,” he said, adding, “Now things (around me) will be good again, and I will rise to the occasion with another good performance at Tottenham. He didn’t specify what was bothering him, but Globo reported that he had recently parted ways with his agent, who had been with him since the beginning of his career.
He also gave an explanation for his tears against Bolivia. He also started against Bolivia on Sept. 9 (a 5-1 Brazil win), but failed to score a goal and was replaced in the 26th minute by Hwang’s teammate Matheus Cunha (Wolverhampton). Shortly after the substitution, however, he was seen in tears on the bench. “It wasn’t because of my performance, it was because of what was happening off the pitch,” he said, “It wasn’t my problem, it was people close to me. I couldn’t control it,” he explained.
He appeared to come alive in September with a goal and an assist against Sheffield Wednesday, but has since faded back into obscurity, losing out to Son Heung-min. Son celebrated his goal by raising his hand in celebration. Heung-min’s teammate, but also his positional rival. However, fans and experts alike gave him a thumbs up for putting the team first. The Tottenham fan community SpursWeb wrote: “This is why Heung-min is a fantastic captain. He is a leader, selfless, and empathetic. There aren’t many players who would say and do this to a competitor for a best eleven spot. Rob Daly, pundit for Spurs’ official channel, SpursPlay, said: “Heung-Min Son took the ball to the South Stand. What a lovely gesture to congratulate him after his huge impact today.” “Captain Mentality ON…I have no words, just respect,” said European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano.
Once again, the Frenchman is silent. The Saudi interest in Hyshalisong continued. He and Jadon Sancho were among the targets. However, Tottenham have decided not to sell him this time around. Peter O’Rourke, who works as a dedicated Tottenham reporter for Football Insider, reported on January 17 that “Tottenham are not considering selling striker Eden Hazard in the January transfer window, according to sources”. Tottenham’s recent injury rash