The 10 Highest-Paid Players In Saudi Arabia After Latest Arrivals

With N'Golo Kante officially the latest superstar to join a team in the big-spending Saudi Pro League, here are the 10 highest-paid players in Saudi Arabia.

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It was confirmed this week that the 32-year-old France international has waved goodbye to his career in England, swapping a struggling Chelsea for this past season's Saudi league winners Al Ittihad.

The midfielder has joined Karim Benzema on his new journey, and has also become the league's third-best-paid player behind his teammate and Al Nassr No. 7 Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to reports, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has signed a three-year deal and will earn a staggering £28.6m (R583 million) annually in the Middle East, with the list of the country's highest-paid stars expected to change dramatically before the 2023/24 campaign gets underway.

Here are the 10 highest-paid players in Saudi Arabia at the moment: 

10. Gustavo Cuellar (Al Hilal) – annual salary of £3.74m

9. Luciano Vietto (Al Hilal) – annual salary of £4.26m

8. Moussa Marega (Al Hilal) – annual salary of £4.28m

7. Ahmed Hegazi (Al Ittihad) – annual salary of £5.01m

6. Anderson Talisca (Al Nassr) – annual salary of £5.17m

5. Matheus Pereira (Al Hilal) – annual salary of £5.5m

4. Ever Banega (Al Shabab) – annual salary of £9.1m

3. N'Golo Kante (Al Ittihad) – annual salary of £28.6mGetty Images

2. Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad) – annual salary of £172mGetty Images

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr) – annual salary of £173mGetty Images

More high-profile names are tipped to follow the likes of Kante, Benzema and Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League in the coming weeks, with Chelsea trio Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech believed to be closing in on moves to the country, whose Public Investment Fund has taken control of four clubs – Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, Al Ahli and Al Hilal – in order to speed up the league's growth.

For now, the SPL's list of highest-paid players consists of recognisable names, such as former Argentina international and Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega, who currently plies his trade for Al Shabab and earns £9.1 million (R212 million) every year. Ex-West Bromwich Albion star Matheus Pereira comes in at fifth on £5.5 million (R128 million) per annum, followed by Anderson Talisca, who earns £5.17 million (R120 million) playing alongside Ronaldo at Al Nassr.

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Ahmed Hegazi currently ranks seventh in the list, behind Al Hilal trio Moussa Marega, Luciano Vietto and Gustavo Cuellar. 90min reports that Hegazi earns £5.01 million (R116 million) a year, Marega £4.28 million (R99.9 million), Vietto £4.26 million (R99.4 million) and Cuellar £3.74 million (R87.3 million). 

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