Steven Gerrard ‘could look to raid Blackpool for Neil Critchley AGAIN’… as the new Al-Ettifaq boss ‘wants to bring his former Aston Villa assistant with him to Saudi Arabia’
- Steven Gerrard reportedly wants Blackpool’s Neil Critchley to join Al-Ettifaq
- He previously poached him from Blackpool to become his Aston Villa assistant
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Steven Gerrard reportedly wants his former Aston Villa assistant Neil Critchley to join him at Al-Ettifaq – meaning he could raid Blackpool again for the 44-year-old.
The Liverpool legend persuaded the Blackpool boss to ditch the Seasiders to join him at Villa last summer.
It would be an awkward move for Critchley to make considering he only re-joined Blackpool in late May.
All the same, Gerrard wants the well-regarded coach by his side in Saudi Arabia, as per The Sun.
As well as in the Midlands, the two crossed paths in the Liverpool academy, where Critchley was U23s manager while Gerrard was in charge of the U18s.
Neil Critchley is wanted by Steven Gerrard as his assistant at Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League
Gerrard poached Critchley from Blackpool to become his assistant at Aston Villa last summer
He recently became manager of Al-Ettifaq, who finished seventh in the Saudi Pro League
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Critchley was commended for the job he did in his first spell at Blackpool, gaining them promotion from League One in 2020/21 and consolidating them in the Championship the following season with a 16th-placed finish.
However, he only lasted 12 games as Mick Beale’s replacement at QPR early last season, winning just one and losing six at Loftus Road as the side’s form nosedived.
If Gerrard could lure his fellow countryman away from Lancashire, he would be plunging him into a fascinating scenario in Saudi Arabia.
He was only confirmed as the head of Al-Ettifaq’s project on Monday, with the club aiming to challenge the Saudi Arabian elite.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund recently took 75% control of four of their competitors – Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli, and Al-Hilal – and the money has been flowing with multiple high-profile transfers.
However, Al-Ettifaq’s owners are willing to bankroll big-money moves of their own in order to make the club a dominant force in Saudi Arabian football.
Gerrard has held face-to-face talks with Wilfried Zaha but the deal is on the brink of collapse with the player’s representatives demanding more money.
Zaha is a free agent and is set to make a decision on his future soon amid interest from other clubs such as PSG, Napoli, Lazio, Galatasaray and Cristiano Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr.
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Al-Ettifaq, PSG, Napoli, Lazio, Galatasaray, and Al-Nassr all want free agent Wilfried Zaha
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