Saudi Pro League teams have plucked a whole host of top stars from European sides this summer – and they’re not done yet either.
The Saudi Pro League’s emergence as a significant player in the transfer market has transformed the footballing landscape over the past few months. And with clubs still able to bring in more foreign stars until the September 7 deadline, there’s likely to be further blockbuster moves to come.
Although many big names from across Europe did manage to complete last-minute moves on deadline day, there are plenty of others who remain out of favour and in need of a fresh challenge.
Traditionally, the Turkish Super Lig has been the back-up plan for situations like these, but now Saudi Arabia is all the rage. Below, GOAL has taken a look at 12 transfers that might still be completed before the SPL window shuts:
Mohamed Salah
No matter how many times Jurgen Klopp insists that he’s staying, the rumours linking Mohamed Salah with Al-Ittihad just will not go away. The Saudi champions have already had a £150 million ($189m) bid turned down, though it’s been reported that they have no issue smashing the world-record transfer fee for the Liverpool star.
For the Reds to sell, the fee on offer would have to be astronomical. But even if they do receive an obscene proposal like this, would it really be worth it? Selling Salah when it’s impossible to replace him would be a likely-lethal blow to Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes. If they cannot get a deal done before the summer deadline, expect Al-Ittihad to return with a vengeance in January.
Demarai Gray
There’s a way to leave a club well and calling your manager out on Instagram is definitely not it. Demarai Gray took to social media on Sunday, accusing Sean Dyche of not “respecting him” – seemingly opening the door for a move to Saudi Arabia.
Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq are reportedly keen and Everton would likely rather he was off the wage bill than rotting away in the reserves. If Gray doesn’t jet off to Saudi Arabia, he is in for a very awkward few months at Finch Farm.
David de Gea
For all of his shortcomings, it was surprising that no European club snapped up David de Gea on a free transfer this summer. Yes, he is not the most sophisticated ball player, but he remains more than capable of performing at the top level provided he does not have to be too heavily involved in the first phase.
He might have been holding out for the lucrative pay packet on offer in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Nassr looks like his best option, with their overseas goalkeeper David Ospina injured and unregistered for the season. Al-Ittihad could be another option as Marcelo Grohe is not the best-known goalkeeper, though he has proved to be a reliable pair of hands over the years.
Hugo Lloris
De Gea is not the only veteran Premier League stopper who could yet jet off to Saudi Arabia either. Hugo Lloris has been usurped by Guglielmo Vicario as Tottenham’s No.1 this season, with The Evening Standard reporting that the Frenchman has turned down approaches from the likes of Nice and Lazio in the summer transfer window.
Spurs are begrudgingly expecting the 36-year-old to stick around until at least January now, but if he grows tired of playing second fiddle, several Saudi clubs might be interested in signing him.
Paul Pogba
Pogba’s return to Juventus has been a complete shambles, with a string of injuries restricting him to just six Serie A appearances last season. There appeared to be light at the end of the tunnel for the Frenchman recently, as he returned for his side’s draw with Bologna – only for him to pick up a back problem against Empoli on Sunday.
All of these niggles must be tempting Juve to cut their losses and sanction a long-rumoured move to the Saudi Pro League. Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad are both interested, in what would be another decent PR move for the competition, though whether Pogba would have much of an impact on the pitch is another matter.
Daniel Podence
After netting six times for the Premier League’s lowest scorers last season, Daniel Podence has been absent for Wolves’ first few games of the 2023-24 campaign, with the forward also missing his side’s pre-season training camp in Portugal.
It’s pretty clear he wants to leave Molineux, but interest was thin on the ground from European clubs during the summer transfer window. Al-Ettifaq have also been linked with the ex-Olympiacos man, as Gerrard and Co look to mount an unlikely title bid this season.
Nicolas Pepe
Signing Nicolas Pepe for £72m ($91m) back in summer 2019 has proven to be a pretty disastrous piece of business for Arsenal. Aside from a few flashes of quality during the Covid-affected 2020-21 season, Pepe has massively underwhelmed in north London, and a loan spell at Nice last season failed to reignite his stagnating career.
Mercifully, the Ivorian’s contract expires next summer, but if the Gunners want him off the books sooner than then, the Saudi Pro League could offer them salvation. The winger has already rejected a move to Besiktas, but an unnamed Saudi club are reported to be interested. Arsenal fans will be keeping everything crossed that negotiations proceed quickly.
Jadon Sancho
Erik ten Hag was not in a good mood when he spoke to reporters following Manchester United’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal on Sunday. After listing off the various ways his side had been wronged by referee Anthony Taylor during the defeat, he then revealed the reason for Jadon Sancho’s omission from the matchday squad: the winger’s poor training performances.
The player hit back on social media soon after, writing: “I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!”
It’s a messy situation and it’s hard to see how Sancho comes back from this damning assessment by his manager. Signing exciting, young players is evidently something the Saudi Pro League is keen on to prove their project is not a flash in the pan. Bringing Sancho to the division would be a serious statement of intent.
Marco Verratti
Marco Verratti has not featured for PSG this season, with the Italian lumped into the club’s group of ‘undesirables’ this summer, alongside the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, Neymar and, briefly, Kylian Mbappe.
While the majority of those no longer wanted by the Parisians have found new homes, Verratti remains in limbo – and his options are running out fast. A string of Saudi Pro League clubs would benefit from a creative midfielder of his quality, and they will likely be pushing hard to lure him away from the French capital over the coming days.
Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara has missed the start of Liverpool’s season through injury and if some recent reports are to be believed, he may have even already played his last game for the Reds. Al-Ahli were said to have submitted a bid of around £10m ($12.6m) earlier this summer, and although the links have quietened down more recently, Saudi clubs could now rekindle their interest.
Thiago moving on would follow the trend of Liverpool’s summer, with Klopp’s midfield undergoing serious surgery following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho. The signing of Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch means the Reds could just about accommodate the Spaniard’s exit if they absolutely had to.
Tanguy Ndombele
After helping Napoli end their wait for a Serie A title last season, many expected Tanguy Ndombele to be given another chance at Tottenham. However, it appears that incoming coach Ange Postecoglou is not convinced, with the midfielder yet to make an appearance for Spurs during the current campaign.
Having already spurned interest from Turkey over the summer, it appears that the Saudi Pro League is his only remaining option if he wishes to play regularly over the next nine months.
Jesse Lingard
Following a thoroughly underwhelming season at Nottingham Forest, Jesse Lingard’s relegation-proof contract was not renewed in the summer. And despite training with Inter Miami and West Ham, he’s struggled to find a new club since.
In the summer, Lingard refused to rule out a move to Saudi Arabia, predicting that the league would become a “hot spot” for players in the near future. He did temper expectation of a transfer by asserting that the project had to be “right” for him, but with the chances of a Premier League return before the squad registration deadline looking slim, a transfer to the Middle East might just have got a whole lot more appealing.
