Reports connecting Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid, and speculation of Neymar potentially returning to Barcelona, have been the recurring themes of the transfer market in recent years.
This summer, however, in addition to these developments, the rise of a significant force – the Saudi Pro League – has caused a sensation in the transfer market.
The stage was set late last year, after a groundbreaking deal worth $200m-per-year sealed the transfer of one of football’s biggest names, Cristiano Ronaldo, from English powerhouse Manchester United to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia during the January 2023 transfer window.
Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate and the current Ballon d’Or winner, Karim Benzema, attracted attention with his move from the 14-time Champions League winners to Al Ittihad, one of four clubs owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, alongside Al Hilal, Al Ahli, and Al Nassr.
German champions Bayern Munich witnessed Sadio Mane join Ronaldo at Al Nassr, while Riyad Mahrez joined Al Ahli shortly after helping Manchester City secure an unprecedented continental treble.
Meanwhile, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, Edouard Mendy, and Kalidou Koulibaly are just a few examples of the European players flocking to Saudi Arabia.
Such high-profile names being drawn away from a continent that has been dominant in the sport for years was certain to stir controversy, and it did. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expressed concerns about the Saudi transfer window closing on September 20, three weeks after it shut in Europe, and believed it would have a “negative impact” on the sport.
City manager Pep Guardiola stated that the Saudi league has “completely transformed the market,” while Klopp admitted that European managers now have to “deal with” it.
Among the critics of the league was Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who saw one of his summer targets, Marcelo Brozovic, choose Al Nassr over a move to the Spanish club. Laporta suggested that the gold rush to the oil-rich Gulf state is driven by motives unrelated to sport, hinting at irresistible and sometimes extravagant offers made by Saudi clubs.
Although the Saudi league reportedly failed in their attempts to sign seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and 24-year-old Mbappe, who has expressed his desire to switch clubs, it is arguably harsh to claim that the league offers no sporting motivations to players.
While Ronaldo moved to the Saudi league at the age of 37, with the best years of his illustrious career behind him, it is difficult to believe that someone as professional as the Portuguese superstar would abandon his previous club, Manchester United, solely for financial incentives. Ronaldo’s decision was influenced by a lack of a promising sports plan and infrastructure, despite being their best player the previous season.
It is true that most players who moved to Saudi Arabia, apart from Neves at 26, are in their thirties. However, this does not imply that players like Kante, Benzema, Mahrez, Mane, Roberto Firmino, Mendy, and Allex Telles have exhausted their potential for their respective national teams. On the contrary, most of them are key figures in their national squads, indicating that the Saudi league is far from being a retirement destination for players.
Furthermore, Al Nassr’s decision to cancel a deal for Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech due to a reported knee injury suggests that the Saudi project is not solely focused on attracting big names in football but also prioritize a long-term vision – unlike the Chinese Super League, another Asian league that injected significant funds a decade ago but failed to realize their vision.
What the Saudi league has yet to accomplish is convincing more players in their mid-20s – the prime age for footballers to make their mark on the global stage – to join the Middle Eastern nation while maintaining their status as top talents worldwide.
As things stand, the big spenders in Europe and the talent factories around the world are now well aware of another major player in the soccer market who could entice their assets and targets. And it is likely to continue, persistently striving to fulfill Ronaldo’s prophecy of the Saudi Pro League becoming “one of the top five leagues in the world.”