As the start of the new season approaches, no major moves have been made while several stars are said to be unsettled
Saudi Arabia shook up the world of football in the summer of 2023. Approximately £750 million ($957m) was spent on 97 signings, with Karim Benzema, Neymar, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez and other high-profile players following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, who had joined Al-Nassr during the preceding window.
As Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola pointed out, "the Saudi Pro League has changed the transfer market. Just a few months ago, when Cristiano was the only one to go, nobody could have imagined the amount of top, top players who would go to play there. I think in the near future it's going to happen more and more."
However, while there have been some notable new arrivals since this summer's window opened last month, the Pro League's clubs have not been anywhere near as active last year. So, has the Saudi bubble already burst? Is the SPL set to suffer a Chinese Super League-like crash? Or can we expect more superstar signings in the coming weeks?
Getty ImagesSalah staying put
Pro League director of football Michael Emenalo admitted in May that Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne were the "types of players" that the league would target this summer. "This particular coming window," Chelsea's former technical director told , "if there’s an opportunity to spend significantly on someone that we think will bring exactly what we need or what is needed, then we will do that."
However, Salah somewhat surprisingly decided to stay at Liverpool, and it is believed that the Egyptian winger, whom Al-Ittihad tried to sign last September for £150m ($190m), will end up extending a contract that expires at the end of the season.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesNo deal for De Bruyne
As for De Bruyne, the 33-year-old made no secret of his interest in a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. "At my age, you have to be open to everything," he explained to . "You're talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.
"If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money. Before that I had to play football for 15 years. I may not even reach that amount yet.
"Then, you have to think about what that could mean next. I still have one year left on my contract, so I have to think about what could happen. My eldest son is now eight years old and knows nothing but England. He also asks how long I will play for City. Once the moment comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way."
However, it now appears highly unlikely that City will allow De Bruyne to depart before the close of the transfer window, with Guardiola making it very clear that he wants to hold onto his key creator.
(C)Getty ImagesRicharlison's rejection
Al-Nassr were also frustrated in their bid to sign Ederson from City – despite the Brazil goalkeeper's reported interest in a money-spinning move to the Middle East, having already won pretty much all there is to win in Europe. The goalkeeper's international colleague, Richarlison, was nowhere near as keen, though.
Even with current club Spurs on the verge of signing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth, which will likely mean even less game time for the struggling striker, Richarlison rejected the chance to join an unnamed Saudi side earlier this week.
"There has been an offer, but my dream of playing for the Selecao and in the Premier League speaks louder," he told .
The Richarlison snub serves as a reminder of the difficulties that the Pro League still has in attracting players in or approaching what should be their peak years. Even someone like Romelu Lukaku, who is 31 and has spoken positively about the Saudi Arabian league in the past, is still holding out for a reunion with Antonio Conte at Napoli rather than accepting an offer from a Middle Eastern side because he believes he still has much to offer – and arguably prove – at the highest level.
Getty Lowering the average age
In that sense, it's hardly surprising that the Pro League is still bringing in ageing stars like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is coming off the back of a brilliant season at Marseille, and former Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez.
Emenalo remains acutely aware that Saudi Arabia is an attractive destination for veterans looking to "extend their careers" and N'Golo Kante's return to the France fold in time for Euro 2024 made plenty of people sit up and take notice, as it suggested that previously injury-prone players could benefit from playing in a less physically demanding league.
However, there have been other, more significant signings than Aubameyang and Nacho in recent weeks. Indeed, the pair have joined newly-promoted Al-Qadsiah, who are backed by the national oil company Saudi Aramco and have also signed Ezequiel Fernandez (22) and Julian Quinones (27), from Boca Juniors and America, respectively.
Elsewhere, after failing with their bid to sign Ederson, as well as Juventus' Wojciech Szczesny, Al-Nassr instead snapped up Bento, the highly-rated 25-year-old Brazil goalkeeper. In addition, Benzema's Al-Ittihad have made clear their intent to atone for last year's dismal title defence by paying €60m for Aston Villa winger Moussa Diaby (25) and an additional €12m for Algeria midfielder Houssem Auoar (26).
These deals are representative of the Pro League's drive to not only add quality but also lower the average age of the overseas signings, with a great emphasis now being placed on young players across the league.