Steven Gerrard becomes fourth-highest paid manager in football after joining Al-Ettifaq, who are the top 3?

According to The Sun (via Daily Mail), Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard now commands a jaw-dropping salary of £15.2 million annually at the Saudi Arabian football club, Al-Ettifaq.

This cements a three-year commitment between the former Aston Villa manager and the Saudi Pro League football unit. This makes him the fourth-highest-paid manager, with three tacticians ahead of him, as reported by The Sun.

The Middle East is witnessing a new dawn in the world of football, where Saudi clubs are attracting an ensemble of acclaimed players and managers from Europe. Gerrard, now among these coveted individuals, walks a path initially tread by Cristiano Ronaldo, who inked a £172 million annual deal with a Saudi club back in January.

Gerrard had hung up the managerial boots temporarily following his stints in Scotland and England, ut the £300k per week deal from Al-Ettifaq proved irresistible.

His earnings are just a fraction below the Premier League heavyweights, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp at £16 million, and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola at £20 million. Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone, towers above all with a staggering £30 million per annum.

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Steven Gerrard looks set to take the Saudi Pro League by storm with his managerial acumen

Seeking to shake off the specter of his ill-fated tenure at Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard will step onto the Arabian turf aiming to bolster his managerial credentials. He will also have the chance to snap Al-Ettifaq's 36-year title drought, but this will require overthrowing reigning champions Al-Ittihad. It won't be easy as they have signed 2022 Ballon d'Or-winning striker Karim Benzema.

His departure from Aston Villa in the 2022-23 season came after a less-than-ideal run, with a mere two victories in the first dozen games. The Premier League side, under the management of former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, eventually rebounded to finish seventh, securing a spot in the Europa Conference League.

In candid remarks about his Middle Eastern move, Steven Gerrard articulated a feeling of familial warmth from Al-Ettifaq and asserted the primacy of his family's welfare. According to Daily Mail, he revealed that he "got a real family feeling", also adding that it was important for the move to be "right for my family first and foremost."

The Liverpool legend also explained:

"I think the football project needs to be ambitious, it needs to be for the right reasons, and then of course you need to feel secure with the contract, but this comes at the very end."

To boost Al-Ettifaq's ranks, the club is targeting Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson, potentially offering a whopping £700k per week contract. While no formal bid has yet been tabled, Henderson joins the list of sought-after stars in the Saudi Pro League's summer recruitment plan. Crystal Palace's winger Wilfried Zaha is another player targeted by Al-Ettifaq.