2023-08-11 09:29:41
The Saudi championship starts this weekend. A look back at a completely crazy transfer window fueled by the endless resources of local clubs.
Since the beginning of the summer, the emergence of Saudi Arabia on the transfer market thanks to the exorbitant salaries offered by the clubs of the oil monarchy has convinced several renowned players and coaches to commit to the Saudi Pro League, whose championship begins on Friday.
Benzema, Mahrez, Mané: the stars
Saudi Arabia has launched major maneuvers to exist on the global football scene by attracting several of its stars to its championship, starting with Cristiano Ronaldo, who arrived in Al-Nassr last January.
The first big name to jump on the bandwagon was none other than his former Real Madrid partner Karim Benzema. Free of any contract, the Ballon d’Or 2022 signed free for three years at Al-Ittihad in early June.
A few days later, the 35-year-old French striker was joined by his compatriot N’Golo Kanté. At the end of his contract with Chelsea, the 32-year-old defensive midfielder signed up with the Jeddah club for three years.
The 2018 world champion will form a prestigious doublet in midfield with the Brazilian Fabinho, 29, who arrived for three years from Liverpool where he was a basic man in coach Jurgen Klopp’s system.
Haloed by a historic hat-trick with Manchester City, Riyad Mahrez has signed up for four years with Al-Ahli, for a transfer estimated at 35 million euros for the 32-year-old Algerian international.
But the latest football star to join the Saudi league is Sadio Mané, from Bayern Munich. The 31-year-old Senegalese international joined Al-Nassr for an annual salary of around 40 million euros, according to the Saudi press, with bonuses estimated at 10 million euros.
Firmino, Koulibaly: the thirties
Beyond the stars, several big names in world football in their thirties have taken over the leadership of the monarchy.
Finalist of the last Champions League with Inter Milan, the Croatian Marcelo Brozovic has signed up for three years at Al-Nassr. According to several media, the Saudi club would have paid 18 million euros to hire the 30-year-old midfielder.
Ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson joined Al-Ettifaq until 2026. The 33-year-old has been heavily criticized for signing in a country where homosexuality is banned, despite supporting the community LGBT+ during his career.
Another Red left for Saudi Arabia, Brazilian international Roberto Firmino has signed up to Al-Ahli until 2026. At the end of the contract, the 31-year-old striker left Liverpool after eight seasons.
At the end of June, the Jeddah club had already registered the arrival of Senegalese international Edouard Mendy. According to multiple outlets, Al-Ahli paid Chelsea around €18.5m to land the 31-year-old keeper.
Kalidou Koulibaly has also left Stamford Bridge for Al-Hilal. The 32-year-old defender, who arrived at Chelsea last summer, would have joined the Riyadh club for 23 million euros.
Fofana, Milinkovic-Savic: players still on the rise
If Saudi Arabia offers gold bridges to planetary stars at the twilight of their career, the Saudi Pro League also manages to attract players still in the prime of life.
Ivorian international Seko Fofana has joined Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. The 28-year-old midfielder has left RC Lens as the northern French club prepare to return to the Champions League.
After eight years at Lazio Rome, Serbian international midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (28) has signed up for three years with Al-Hilal. Lazio reportedly received almost 50 million euros for the player’s transfer.
Aged 26, Ruben Neves has also signed up for Al-Hilal for three years. The Portuguese international would have arrived for 55 million euros, when he was coveted by FC Barcelona.
Also playing in the Premier League last season, Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin, also 26, signed for three years with Al-Ahli, from Newcastle, a club 80% owned by the Sovereign Fund of Saudi Arabia (BIP). He was joined in August by Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessié, 26, who arrived from Barcelona.
Gerrard, Bilic: the coaches
Supported by this same sovereign fund of the country, the Saudi League also attracts renowned managers with staggering salaries.
Without a club since his dismissal by Aston Villa in October, Steven Gerrard, who had previously declined an offer from another Gulf state, finally gave in to Saudi sirens. The iconic former Liverpool captain has signed to Al-Ettifaq until 2025.
Former Croatian coach and semi-finalist of the 1998 World Cup against the Blues, Slaven Bilic joined the Al-Fateh bench where the 31-year-old Spanish striker Cristian Tello plays.
After leaving Fenerbahçe in June, former Benfica Lisbon coach Jorge Jesus returned to the bench at Al-Hilal, where he worked in 2018-2019.
Last technician to date to have joined the Saudi Pro League, the young German Matthias Jaissle has signed up with Al-Ahli for three seasons from RB Salzburg.
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