The lure of lucrative contracts continues to entice star names to the Saudi Pro League.
Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante have joined Pro League champions Al Ittihad, while Gianluigi Buffon, Roberto Firmino and Marcelo Brozovic are all linked with moves to the Middle East.
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has signed for Al Ahli, after three successful years at Chelsea, with former Blues teammate Kalidou Koulibaly joining Al Hilal.
Even younger players such as Ruben Neves are choosing to move to Saudi Arabia over Manchester United and Barcelona.
The Sporting News looks at the biggest transfers to Saudi Arabia so far.
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Star transfers to Saudi Arabia
Anderson Talisca was one of the first well-known names to join the Saudi Pro League. He moved to Al Nassr following a few years in China.
Cristiano Ronaldo then helped the league gain a lot more traction as he left Man United to also join Al Nassr after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He helped them gain a lot more viewers and showed the Saudi Pro League hierarchy they can attract big names.
Ballon d’Or holder Benzema is set to earn £84m ($107m) per year for three years at Al Ittihad. World Cup winner Kante will reportedly make £67.6m ($86m) per year across his four-year contract.
Wolves will receive a club-record fee for star player Neves. He attracted from several big clubs since his breakthrough at the Premier League team, but he decided to move to Saudi Arabia. Koulibaly joins Neves at Al Hilal after just one season in the Premier League at Chelsea.
| Player | New Club | Transfer fee | Date Joined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edouard Mendy | Al Ahli | £16m ($20.2m) | June, 2023 |
| Karim Benzema | Al Ittihad | Free | June, 2023 |
| N’Golo Kante | Al Ittihad | Free | June, 2023 |
| Ruben Neves | Al Hilal | £47.1m ($60m) | June, 2023 |
| Kalidou Koulibaly | Al Hilal | £15.7m ($20m) | June, 2023 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Al Nassr | Free | January, 2023 |
| Anderson Talisca | Al Nassr | £6.9m ($8.8m) | July, 2021 |
Other stars linked to Saudi Arabia transfer
Chelsea have been busy so far in the summer transfer window as other players look set to join Kante, Koulibaly and Mendy in Saudi Arabia. Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are also preparing for moves away from Europe.
Arsenal are trying to find the right club for Thomas Partey as the midfielder is set to be replaced, while Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha is now a free agent and has received an offer from Saudi Arabia.
Saul Niguez could also move to Al Nassr, but Atletico Madrid will likely demand a notable fee as he is contracted to the Spanish club until 2026.
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International stars on Saudi Pro League teams
- Al Ittihad: Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Romarinho
- Al Nassr: Cristiano Ronaldo, Anderson Talisca, David Ospina
- Al Hilal: Ruben Neves, Moussa Marega, Kalidou Koulibaly
- Al Shabab: Ever Banega, Grzegorz Krychowiak
- Al Fateh: Cristian Tello
- Abha: Felipe Caicedo
- Al Ahli: Edouard Mendy