Brendan Rodgers opens up on Saudi Arabian offer and makes Celtic transfer window warning - 'that is unfortunately what can happen'

Brendan Rodgers uses the word “interesting” to describe the financial package offered to him by a Saudi Arabian club earlier this year. Gargantuan, eye-watering, maybe even vulgar would probably work, too.

Brendan Rodgers spoke with a Saudi Arabian club after he left Leicester City earlier this year.

Rodgers wasn’t swayed by the prospect of moving to the Gulf state so soon after leaving Leicester City but he’s in a small minority on that front. Jota has gone from Celtic, Fashion Sakala has sped out of Rangers and even stellar Premier League talent like Jordan Henderson, Ruben Neves and Riyad Mahrez have hopped onto the Saudi gravy train with a view to topping up their bank balances with as many riyal as they can.

“I had two really long meetings with a team out there,” Rodgers revealed. “From a financial perspective of course it was interesting. Out of respect I spoke to them and then again. But my whole mindset still at that point was to have time out. It was only after that that I spoke to Celtic. What makes it interesting is they [the Saudi Pro League] obviously have a plan, in terms of what they are wanting to do and achieve in terms of football, and they have money.

"So there are two items there that are dangerous; a plan and money. They want the game to grow and it is interesting to see the number of top players who have gone out there. I spoke at length to Jordan Henderson before he went. We have seen other players going out. If players, managers and coaches are going to be offered the level of finance that is being offered then of course it can make you wobble.”

Jota is one of many players to have moved to the Pro League this summer.

Rodgers has spoken about the need to have a replacement lined up for whenever a first-team figure, like Carl Starfelt this week, decides to leave. Where that might prove tricky for Celtic – and other European clubs – is when the transfer window here closes, while the Saudi one remains open for almost another month beyond that.

“I think every manager would ideally want (the window) to finish when the first games start,” added Rodgers. “But it doesn’t so we will have to deal with whatever comes our way. We had it a few years back. I can remember the Premier League window shutting early but the European one stayed open. It was changed after that to synchronise football across Europe which would be better.

“Of course, if the Saudi window is still open it will be interesting. A club from Saudi could come in and offer money, a life-changing deal, to a player. That then wobbles the player and you don’t get the same player. That is unfortunately what can happen.”

This summer’s upheaval will just be the start of things, with Saudi clubs likely to use their star names to push for greater influence within the global game. Rodgers is surveying it all with interest. “It’s one where they will probably look to build relations, probably over the course of the next decade or so,” he added. “There’s clearly an appetite there to progress and there’s finance behind it. I think the stadiums are great out there but the infrastructure will need improving. There’s the moral stuff as well. But it’s definitely something that’s making people in the game sit up and take notice.”