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Saudi Arabia's growing influence in the world of football shows no signs of slowing down, as reports emerge of their interest in former Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Teams from the Saudi Pro League have already registered their interest in Roberto Firmino.
Firmino and Oxlade-Chamberlain both left the Reds this summer upon the expiration of their contracts with the club.
While Oxlade-Chamberlain has been tentatively linked with some Premier League outfits, Saudi Arabia has entered the race to secure his services, according to the Daily Mail. The allure of a potentially lucrative deal in the Middle East could sway the midfielder's decision regarding his next destination.
Should Oxlade-Chamberlain accept the offer, he would become the first Three Lions star to ply his trade in Saudi Arabia. This could pave the way for other English and British players to follow suit and join the likes of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ruben Neves. Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech is also moving to Saudi club Al-Nassr before the start of the new season.
Interestingly, Firmino, too, is said to be in talks with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli, one of the four teams recently acquired by the country's Public Investment Fund, as reported by Ben Jacobs.
The Saudi Kingdom's ambitious push to recruit top football talents has dominated the ongoing transfer window, with many big players flying off to the Middle Eastern nation for a new challenge. Firmino, 31, and Oxlade-Chamberlain, 29, can still compete at the top level of European football, and it will be interesting to see if they make the switch to Saudi Arabia.
Oxlade-Chamberlain scored 18 goals and provided 15 assists in 146 games for the Reds since his arrival from Arsenal in 2017.
Mohamed Salah's spectacular strike against Manchester City was voted Liverpool's Goal of the Season 2022-23
Liverpool fans have crowned Mohamed Salah's remarkable winner against Manchester City at Anfield as the club's Goal of the Season for the 2022-23 campaign.
The crucial goal, set up brilliantly by goalkeeper Alisson Becker, secured a memorable 1-0 victory for Jurgen Klopp's Reds in their Premier League clash in October 2022.
In a poll on Liverpoolfc.com, Salah's 76th-minute masterpiece claimed the top spot, narrowly edging out Luis Diaz's sensational strike against Crystal Palace, which finished in second place. Third place went to Trent Alexander-Arnold for his exquisite curler away at Leicester City. Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo (vs Manchester United) and Darwin Nunez (vs Real Madrid) rounded off the top five with their impressive contributions.
