There is not a big name in the world of professional golf that has not had their say on the emergence of the LIV Golf setup over the past 18 months, and Jon Rahm is no different.

But it appears Rahm's thoughts on the breakaway league are all the more important, after the Spaniard was linked with making the Saudi switch on Wednesday. According to Bunkered, the Masters champion is said to be in negotiation with Greg Norman and co.

A source claimed that the chance of Rahm imminently joining the breakaway league is 'way off the mark', but the 29-year-old is said be 'closer to joining than he has been before'.

READ MORE: Jon Rahm’s Rory McIlroy U-turn and PGA blast as LIV Golf plot decisive blow in golf battle

Whilst the two-time major champion has refrained from being one of LIV's biggest critics amid his PGA Tour loyalties, it would come a shock to many to see the the world No. 3 make the move.

From laughing off a LIV move, to calling on peace within the professional game, here is a look at Rahm's previous comments on the Saudi-funded series.

"I do see the appeal"

LIV officially launched back in June 2022, just two weeks prior to the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline. As the world's best golfers descended on Massachusetts, the biggest talking point was not the third major of the campaign, but the emergence of the Saudi-backed league.

Rahm was one of a number of players to comment on the civil war that was about to engulf the world of golf, and whilst he committed his allegiances to the PGA Tour, the Spaniard understood why some of his fellow players did make the move.

"I consider the PGA Tour has done an amazing job giving us the best platform for us to perform," he said last summer. "I do see the appeal that other people see towards the LIV Golf. I do see some of the - I'll put this delicately - points or arguments they can make towards why they prefer it."

He did however - which goes on to become a theme - claim the breakaway league's format is one he struggles to get on board with. "To be honest, part of the format is not really appealing to me. Shotgun three days to me is not a golf tournament, no cut. It's that simple.

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"I want to play against the best in the world in a format that's been going on for hundreds of years. That's what I want to see. Yeah, money is great, but when Kelley and I - this first thing happened, we started talking about it, and we're like, will our lifestyle change if I got $400 million? No, it will not change one bit."

"I hope the Ryder Cup doesn't suffer"

On the back of the LIV formation one huge debate surrounded the Ryder Cup, which proved to be a key point, as a whole host breakaway league players missed out on competing at September's event in Rome. In June 2022, Rahm called for the iconic matchplay clash not to be affected by the off-course drama.

"I hope the Ryder Cup doesn't suffer. I think the Ryder Cup is the biggest attraction the game of golf has to bring new people in, and I have such a good time with him on the golf course and on the previous one in Paris. I hope we don't lose the essence and the aspect that the Ryder Cup is.

"That's one of my biggest concerns, to be honest. It's an event we all play for free, and it's one of our favorite weeks, win or lose. I think that says a lot about the game and where I wish it would be at. Well, are they going to be able to play Ryder Cup or not, the players that went?

"In my mind, Sergio, even if he is not breaking 90, he's a no-brainer pick, right? So what's going to happen? You have quite a few young Americans. Bryson went, somebody that's probably going to be on the team in the future. Phil's captaincy is probably in question now, where the PGA stands on all of this."

"If money is your goal that’s the path to go down"

Six months on from the breakaway circuit's formation, tensions between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour remained high, and for Rahm his loyalties remained with the American-based circuit. Rahm ended 2022 with a £4.8 million bonus after finishing fifth in the Tour's Player Impact Programme. On the back of his end-of-season reward, Rahm reiterated that money was not a motivator, and if it was he would have joined LIV Golf.

“If you play good, you’re going to end up making money and be able to take care of yourself,” the Spaniard said per Golf Channel. “It’s not why I started playing, it’s not the reason why I play. So when I’m doing my schedule, when I’m practicing and I’m getting my things done, money is not really on my mind. If it was, I probably might have gone to LIV, right? If money is your goal, that’s clearly the path to go down. Every decision I make when it comes to golf is to become the best player I can become.”

"We should be thankful"

Amid the mega-money threat of LIV Golf, the PGA Tour rolled out a whole number of lucrative changes of their own to keep their playing members onside. Rahm is one of the players to benefit from the increase in prize pots and bonuses, and the Masters champion believes he and his PGA Tour pros have their LIV rivals to thank.

"Without LIV Golf, this [PGA Tour changes] wouldn't have happened. So to an extent, like I've said before, we should be thankful this threat has made the PGA Tour want to change things. I think I said it last week, as well; I wish it didn't come to the PGA Tour being, you know, under fire from somebody else to make those changes and make things better for the players, but I guess it is what we needed. So, yeah, it is because of LIV Golf, otherwise we wouldn't have seen any of this."

"I've never had any negative feelings"

Players on both sides of the feud have been quick to take aim at each other on the past 18 months, with the PGA Tour's Rory McIlroy and LIV's Phil Mickelson often at the centre of the drama. Rahm however reinforced his neutrality when it came to his fellow peers on either side of the fence at this year's PGA Championship. "I never got into the feud. I've never had any negative feelings towards any player that went over to LIV," he said in May. "In fact, I've mentioned many times I still play with many of them and still try to figure out -- try to play practice rounds with Phil, played with Talor Gooch yesterday.

"Really doesn't make a difference to me.That's why my point of view, nothing changed. I think I said it at the Masters, where I hadn't realised how long - I think the first person I saw was Dustin from LIV and I didn't realise how long it had been until I looked down and I saw him wearing FootJoys, and I was like, okay, this doesn't add up. And then I realised I haven't seen you since the Open last year. That was my first moment. Again, to me, it's like nothing changed."

Merger "doesn't really matter"

In June it was finally announced that after a year of battle, the PGA Tour and LIV were finally settling their differences after the former confirmed they had reached a framework agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia that would, in theory, reunite the world of golf as one.

It is expected that the deal - that is yet to be signed off - will see players able to play across both tours, wiping out the Tour's suspension of LIV players. In the weeks after the announcement, Rahm admitted that no matter what happens between the two in the future he was already thankful for the opportunities he had been given in his career.

"To be honest, I think a little bit in my case is perspective. No matter what happens, whether I agree with it or not, thanks to the PGA Tour, they give me a platform to play golf at the highest level, and after taking advantage of that possibility, I'm in a situation where my family and my kids don't have to struggle financially ever, and I don't know how many generations I can help if I do it properly...

"At the end of the day I'm still very privileged, whether the PGA TOUR, LIV Golf align or not or who plays and who likes who. It doesn't really matter. I'm happy where I am in my life, and every day in the morning when I look at my kids, I'm even more blessed in that sense."

"I laugh when people rumour me with LIV Golf"

Three months before Rahm's alleged LIV negotiations, the Spaniard played down any chance of him making the breakaway league. He told the Golf Sin Etiquetas podcast in August: "I laugh when people rumor me with LIV Golf.

"I never liked the format. And I always have a good time with Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia in the practice rounds of majors. Phil [Mickelson] respects my decision, and I respect his [choice]. Mickelson has told me that I have no reason to go play for LIV, and he has told me that multiple times.”