"It’s one last payday in the sunshine and you can retire" - Former Liverpool star slams Ruben Neves after Saudi Pro League move

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch has slammed Ruben Neves after the 26-year-old midfielder joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in a £47 million move.

The Saudi Pro League has caused a massive shakeup in this transfer window, with many top players being enticed by the massive wages on offer. Cristiano Ronaldo started the trend by joining Al-Nassr in January.

Since then, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante have joined Al-Ittihad. Moreover, the Chelsea trio of Hakim Ziyech, Edouard Mendy, and Kalidou Koulibaly are set to trade Premier League football for the Saudi Pro League.

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves, who was linked to Liverpool in the past, has also decided to move to Saudi Arabia.

Peter Crouch wasn't impressed with his decision, claiming that Neves is still in his prime and can win trophies in Europe. He told TalkSPORT (via Liverpool Echo):

"Player-wise, you can kind of understand it. I don't understand the 25-year-old players in their prime (joining Saudi clubs). You’re always going to be 10 years away from any league getting started, we’ve seen this before. The only thing with the Saudi situation is (that) these boys are serious. They did it with the LIV golf, they just didn’t go away."

Crouch added:

"I think that will probably be the case with football (too). We can’t really ignore it because it looks like it’s happening, whether we like it or not. But for players, like Neves, 26 years old to go and play in Saudi… I get it with players like (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Karim) Benzema, players who have achieved everything."

The former Liverpool striker concluded:

“It’s one last payday in the sunshine and you can retire. They’ve achieved everything they want in the game. But these boys at 25 and 26, they have the opportunity to go and win things. It’s about memories and legacy. They’re still going to get paid well, aren’t they?”

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Saudi Arabian football official declares interests in signing Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah

Saudi Arabian football official Hafez Al-Medlej recently stated that they plan on working on the signing of Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah in the future.

Al-Medlej said (via Liverpool Echo):

"Let’s hope that Bernardo Silva, from Manchester City, arrives. We must also start working on the signing of Mohamed Salah since he is overwhelmingly popular in the Arab world and in Europe. I think Salah still has records to break with Liverpool, so I hope that if he doesn’t come now he will in the future."

Mohamed Salah has established himself as one of the most devastating wingers in the world with the Reds. Since making his debut for the club six seasons ago, he has scored 186 goals and provided 79 assists in 305 appearances. He has also won seven trophies with the Reds.

Salah is extremely popular back in Egypt and the Middle East in general, due to his success in Europe. His popularity has resulted in many Arab fans supporting Liverpool due to his presence at the club.

The Egypt international is contracted to Liverpool until the end of the 2024-25 season, and it will be interesting to see if he moves to Saudi Arabia after his stint in Europe.