Jurgen Klopp has had some stern words for the effect that the involvement of the Saudi Pro League in world football in a recent interview.

Klopp lamented the amount of money that they are able to throw at players, noting the ‘difference between the contracts here and the contracts there’.

Currently, Liverpool’s star player, Mohamed Salah, is believed to be the subject of interest from Al-Ittihad – reportedly, they are lining up a £118 million bid for the player.

In a recent interview, Klopp said [via Fabrizio Romano on Twitter] :”The difference between the contracts here and the contracts there, they are that big. They cause problems. 100%.”

Has the Saudi Pro League had a negative effect?

To say that the Saudi Pro League itself has had a negative effect would not necessarily be untrue – their involvement has inflated transfer prices and wage bills to even higher levels than they were already at.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia is not the first time a country has tried to ‘take over’ football. China threatened to cause a splash in the mid-2010s, while the USA and its MLS league has been steadily gaining ground on European football ever since its inception.

Clubs in the Saudi Pro League seem to be approaching things differently, however. Not only do they have more money than American and Chinese teams, they also seem more determined to complete their goals.

It is unclear as to what their end game is at this stage – but do not be surprised if we see Saudi Arabian outfits competing in the Champions League sooner, rather than later.

Could any Liverpool players leave for the Saudi Pro League on Transfer Deadline Day?

As we have previously mentioned, Al-Ittihad are willing to pay Liverpool a sum of £118 million to secure the services of Mohamed Salah. As things stand, the Reds have yet to accept any bids put forth for the 31-year-old.

The Reds’ stance on Salah seems clear – he is not for sale at any price. However, as we have learned many times in football, everyone has a price – an astronomical bid could sway the Liverpool hierarchy’s collective minds.