For clubs looking to free up funds while getting a ragtag bunch of unwanted players off the wage bill – we’re looking at you, Chelsea – the sudden emergence of the Saudi Arabian Pro League is something of a manna from heaven.
Chelsea, thanks to their connections with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, farmed out N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy to the Middle East, with Hakim Ziyech potentially set to follow.
And with Rangers looking to find a buyer for the out-of-favour Scott Wright, Steven Gerrard could yet do his old mate Mick Beale a favour. The Daily Record report that Gerrard’s new employers – Al-Ettifaq – could come to Wright’s rescue; a £2 million bid in the pipeline for a player slipping even further down the pecking order following the arrival of Abdallah Sima from Brighton and Hove Albion.
And move that would see the winger follow in the footsteps of Kante, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and former Celtic star Jota suddenly feels the most likely exit route for a player who could do no ‘wrong’ at Aberdeen but has struggled to get much ‘Wright’ under Beale.
Especially with the door to Deepdale slamming shut on the 25-year-old’s fingers.
Scott Wright facing uncertain future at Rangers
There has been little movement on a potential move south of the border since the Lancs Live reported three weeks ago that Preston North End had all-but given up; two bids for Rangers’ seldom-seen ‘number 23’ falling short.
In fact, Preston have signed two new attacking midfielders since then. Mads Frokjaer-Jensen and Duane Holmes arriving.
The latter joined from Huddersfield Town on Wednesday morning. While versatile enough to play in a number of attacking positions, Holmes arguably does his best work in the same right-sided role that Wright has featured in throughout much of Beale’s tenure. With Holmes through the door, you don’t need Sherlock Holmes to tell you that there is no longer such an obvious place for Wright in Preston’s ranks.
Manager Ryan Lowe insists that the Lilywhites are not done yet in the market.
But with Preston moving onto both Frokjaer-Jensen and Holmes after seeing two bids rejected by Rangers, the Deepdale ship is raising it’s anchor and sailing off over the horizon as far as Scott Wright is concerned.
But hey, there’s always Saudi Arabia.
