The energy rich region is making its biggest push yet to take a place in the sporting headlines across the globe, with stars aplenty joining in.
When Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League from Manchester United of the English Premier variety, some eyebrows were raised. Yes, he was reaching the twilight of his glittering career, his best days in the rear-view mirror, but he was arguably the biggest name in the game. Possibly still is.
But one big name, even of the status of one of those in the GOAT conversation, a league does not make. Add a sprinkling of other top players across the league, however, and more people are going to pay attention, no matter what the underlying principles are.
Which top players have joined the Saudi Pro League?
The aforementioned Portuguese superstar arrived in January and this summer we’ve listened to almost daily rumours of who will join him. Then Real Madrid’s most potent striking force, Karim Benzema -- who interestingly took over that mantle from Ronaldio -- accepted a move to Al-Ittihad. The flood gates may not have opened fully, but there has certainly been a notable trickle, some for a decent transfer fee, others following the completion of their contract, pleasing their respective investment fund managers.
Sadio Mané, now 31, is expected to leave Bayern Munich this summer and he is one of several that could be added to this Pro League list.
Even former world class players, despite their jury’s-still-out managerial CV, are being teased in with a healthy bag of cash, I mean, inspiring sporting project. Yes, I’m talking about you Steven Gerrard.
When does the SPL transfer window close?
The transfer window for the Pro League in Saudi Arabia is open from 1 July to 20 September 2023.
When do European leagues begin?
How the potentially big spending Saudi clubs could impact on the biggest European leagues will likely come down to the start dates of those competitions. Managers have their squads in place and have used as much of the preseason as possible to fine tune formations, tactics, and attitudes. What if a bumper offer comes in at the last minute?
Can the player resist the short-term mega riches? Will the business owners turn down an irrational revenue stream? Is there time to replace and integrate the departing star? Lots of questions that may be tested in the coming weeks...
Here are the dates that each of the ‘big five’ leagues kick off.
Of course, it would be remiss of me not to remind us that those ‘big’ leagues, especially the English Premier League, have been the most disruptive of all over the years, snapping up young, proven, and veteran stars from around the globe whenever a positive scouting report came in.
But can the Saudi clubs really grow to join the behemoths of The Beautiful Game? It’s very possible that that isn’t even their end game anyway.