Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in football has been evident this summer with a number of high-profile players joining Pro League clubs and more tipped to follow in the coming weeks and months.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United last winter has seemingly opened the floodgates for other Europe-based stars to head to the Middle East.
Karim Benzema, Ronaldo’s former strike partner at Real Madrid and the current Ballon d’Or holder, has joined last season’s champions Al-Ittihad, where he will link up with French international team-mate N’Golo Kante.
While Ronaldo, Benzema and Kante are all entering the twilight years of their careers, the same cannot be said of Ruben Neves, 26, who has moved to Al-Hilal from Wolves in a deal worth £47m.
A number of Chelsea players could follow in Ronaldo, Kante and Neves’ footsteps with reports that Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech and Kalidou Koulibaly are in talks with Pro League clubs.
Fulham manager Marco Silva is also being linked with Al-Hilal, as reported exclusively by i.
More established names are expected to join Saudi clubs between now and the end of the transfer window on 1 September, with the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) expanding further into the sport.
PIF, which has had an 80 per cent controlling stake in Newcastle United since November 2021, took control of four of the country’s biggest clubs – Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli – in June.
The hope in Saudi Arabia is that in time their domestic league will possess the technical quality and broadcasting appeal to rival that of the “Top Five” European leagues while also boosting the country’s bid for the 2030 World Cup.
Here is every transfer completed by Saudi Pro League clubs so far this window with signing from European clubs listed in bold:
Abha
Players in: None
Al-Ahli
Players in: Fahad Al-Rashidi (free from Al-Taawoun), Sumaihan Al-Nabit (free from Al-Taawoun), Abdullah Otayf (free from Al-Hilal)
Al-Ettifaq
Players in: None
Al-Fateh
Players in: None
Al-Fayha
Players in: None
Al-Hazem
Players in: Talal Al-Absi (free from Al-Ahli), Mohamed Al-Thani (free from Ohod Al-Medina), Aymen Dahmen (free from CS Sfaxien)
Al-Hilal
Players in: Ruben Neves (£47m from Wolves)
— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) June 23, 2023
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗥𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗻
#AlHilal
@rubendsneves_ pic.twitter.com/ml2osTPQj8
Al-Ittihad
Players in: Karim Benzema (free from Real Madrid), N’Golo Kante (free from Chelsea)
Al-Khaleej
Players in: Pedro Rebocho (free from Lech Poznan), Ivo Rodrigues (free from Famalicao), Abdullah Al-Salem (free from Al-Ettifaq), Saeed Al-Hamsl (free from Abha), Hamad Al-Abdan (free from Al-Hilal), Bander Al-Mutairi (free from Al-Fayha)
Al-Nassr
Players in: None
Al-Okhdood
Players in: Paulo Vitor (free from Chaves), Juan Sebastian Pedroza (free from Independiente Santa Fe)
Al-Raed
Players in: None
— Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) June 20, 2023
#WelcomeBox2Box pic.twitter.com/a5Kd7KoGJM
Al-Riyadh
Players in: Martin Campana (free from Al-Batin)
Al-Shabab
Players in: None
Al-Taawoun
Players in: Waleed Al-Ahmed (free from Al-Faisaly)
Al-Tai
Players in: Robert Bauer (free from Sint-Truiden), Mohammed Marzouq (free from Wej FC)
Al-Wehda
Players in: None
Damac
Players in: Hassan Abusharara (free from Al-Qadsiah FC), Sultan Faqihi (free from Al-Hazem)
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/DT8U5fh
Post a Comment