The Saudi Pro League continues to grow in stature as more players follow Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema from Europe to the Middle East.
Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia in January following his exit at Manchester United, and Benzema has chosen a summer exit from Real Madrid to join Al Ittihad.
Premier League, Champions League, and World Cup winner N'Golo Kante joined French compatriot Benzema at the Saudi champions, and 26-year-old Ruben Neves opt to leave the Premier League after Wolves accepted a £47.2m ($60m) offer from Al Hilal.
However, alongside the growth of star names joining Saudi Arabian clubs, Al Hilal are working on a potentially ground-breaking deal, as they look to prise Kylian Mbappe away from his contract stand off at Paris Saint-Germain.
The Sporting News looks at why players are going to Saudi Arabia instead of staying in Europe.
Why are players going to Saudi Arabia?
The transfer of Neves shocked a lot of fans as he was constantly linked with Barcelona and Manchester United. European football is often considered as the pinnacle of the sport at club level, largely due to the UEFA Champions League.
The simple answer as to why players are going to Saudi Arabia is money. Most footballers will retire from the sport in their late thirties, providing they haven't been forced into an early end by injuries. Therefore, maximising their earnings can often be a priority over competing for bigger trophies.
For example, Neves was reportedly earning around £4m ($5.1m) per year with Wolves. He is now set to earn an estimate of £12m ($15.3m) a year at Al Hilal, tripling his salary in Riyadh.
The rumoured deal for Mbappe will reportedly include a base salary of €200m for a one-year contract, if he accepts the offer, ahead of joining Real Madrid for free in 2024.
A similar situation occurred in the sport of golf as players left the PGA Tour to join Saudi-funded LIV International Golf Series. This is was due to the financial benefits, which outweighed the PGA Tour incentives for some of the best players in the sport.
Why is Saudi Arabia paying big money for stars?
As Saudi Pro League teams do not compete in the Champions League or face teams such as Barcelona and Real Madrid on a regular basis, they needed another way to improve the rosters of their teams.
Offering large sums of money for stars who are still yet to reach the peak of their career boosts the reputation of the league as well as the competitive nature between teams. This will encourage more players like Neves, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly to join the league.
Bringing over Ronaldo and Benzema, who have both won the Ballon d'Or, will also show older players the Saudi Pro League is a viable destination instead of MLS or the Chinese Super League.
How much money Saudi Arabian teams spent on big names
Although Saudi Arabian teams are spending lots on new players, most of their money goes towards wages. Neves is currently the league's second highest transfer with his record broken by Al Hilal's £51.5m/$66.9m fee move for Malcom.
Here are the total market values of each team in the Saudi Pro League according to transfermarkt. Al Hilal are currently second, behind Al Nassr thanks to the acquisitions of Neves and Malcom
| Club | Total market value |
|---|---|
| Al Nassr | £57.7m ($75m) |
| Al Hilal | £39m ($50.5m ) |
| Al Shabab | £29m ($37.6m) |
| Al Ettifaq | £22.8m ($29.5m) |
| Al Ittihad | £22.1m ($28.7m) |
| Al Ahli | £18.2m ($23.6m) |
| Al Taawoun | £18m ($23.2m) |
| Al Fateh | £11.4m ($14.8m) |
| Al Tai | £9.6m ($12.5m) |
| Damac | £8.9m ($11.5m) |
| Abha | £8.1m ($10.5m) |
| Al Wehda | £7.8m ($10.1m) |
| Al Fayha | £7.3m ($9.4m) |
| Khaleej | £6.5m ($8.5m) |
| Al Raed | £4.2m ($5.5m) |
| Al Hazem | £3.8m ($5m) |
| Al Riyadh | £1.9m ($2.4m) |
| Al Okhdood | £1.1m ($1.5m) |
Who are Saudi Arabian team owners?
The clubs in the Saudi Pro League are being privatised as part of a government project to help progress the sport develop in the country. The minister of sport in Saudi Arabia said the changes would help the competition be among the top ten leagues in the world.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF), who also own a majority stake in Newcastle, also have a 75% stake in Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli, and Al Itiihad. Saudi oil company Aramco are set to buy a percentage of Al Qadsia while Neom have bought part of Al Suqoor FC.