- Larsson was edging close to an exit from Frankfurt
- Al-Ittihad sent a lucrative proposal to the player
- Swede’s mother influenced his decision to reject offer
Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson has revealed that he turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia towards the end of the transfer window. Larsson disclosed that a conversation with his mother was instrumental in his decision to reject a proposal that admittedly made his mind wander.
Speaking to Fotbollskanalen Larsson said: “- They showed interest towards the end of the window. It was interesting to listen and let your mind wander a bit. But pretty quickly I felt that I wanted to stay and play in Europe for a while longer anyway. It was fun to listen to but nothing more than that.”
He added: “I thought it was fun to listen to but I called my mother and got scolded for even thinking about it. She said: ‘No, no, no, you shouldn’t!’ And then some more. She has her dreams about her son in Europe. It was just a little funny.
“That’s what I started to question myself a little bit about [sacrificing my ambitions in Europe], and I guess I didn’t feel like I was ready to do it yet. There were a lot of thoughts that night, anyway.”
Al-Ittihad would have tempted him with “a whole lot” of zeros, Larsson explained, emphasising the high sums that are increasingly involved: “You never really understand it. But it’s just totally crazy. It’s getting more and more, we see that with all transfers. We’re in a bubble,” he added.”
It has been reported that Frankfurt value the 21-year-old at €60 million (£52m/$70m). Earlier in the summer, Real Madrid were linked with the Sweden international, while some big Premier League sides such as Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool were rumoured to have the young midfielder on their radar during the 2024-25 season.
Larsson is determined to have an impact with Frankfurt this season, with Die Adler set to feature in the Champions League. He is, however, keeping doors open to a move to one of Europe’s big clubs in the future.
“It was pretty quiet. Something came up, but nothing I felt was what I wanted or in any way better than Frankfurt,” he said. “I’m really happy there, we have the Champions League this season, and in a way I’ve taken on an even more important role. It would take something very big and very good for me to look in another direction, and that didn’t happen.”
Additional reporting by Tim Ursinus.
