It is no secret that Saudi Arabia have an ambitious plan to have one of the best domestic leagues in the world, and a division that could rival some of Europe's elite topflight ranks like the Premier League, LaLiga, and Serie A. In doing so, the organisers of Saudi Arabian football and prominent government officials have splashed lofty sums of cash to lure some of the most renowned names in the sport to the country, including Ballon d'Or winners Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. With at least 10 high-profile stars being courted by Saudi teams currently, Soccer Laduma's Lukhanyo Mtuta dives into whether or not Saudi Arabia can buy the football empire they seemingly desire.
A Formula That Has Been Tried And Sometimes Failed Miserably
Saudi Arabia's plans to become a dominant force in club football is by no means a new phenomenon. Over the past few decades, we have witnessed nations such as the United States and China pump huge investment into developing a league that can attract the finest names from European football.
For many years, Major League Soccer (MLS) has been acquiring ageing stars from Europe's big clubs and offering them what some might see as a last big paycheque for a player firmly in the twilight of their career. From early examples such as German Ballon d'Or winner Lothar Matthaus' arrival in the US in 2000 to the blockbuster transfers of stars such as Thierry Henry, David Villa, Kaka, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and, perhaps most prominently, David Beckham, this is a business practice that is still happening today.
The latter is viewed as an influential figure in American soccer due to the role he has played as a footballer and in his post-retirement career, having been given the option to own an MLS team as part of his $250 million (R3.5 billion) deal to join LA Galaxy back in 2007 following a four-year spell at Real Madrid. The former Manchester United attacker later exercised that option to set up Inter Miami, who played their first competitive topflight game in 2020 and are now Lionel Messi's next destination.
In the mid-2010s, the Chinese Super League followed a similar approach to try to earn their league credibility. Established international star Ezequiel Lavezzi moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Hebei China Fortune in 2016, Oscar left Chelsea halfway through the season to earn an estimated £400 000 (R9.3 million) a week at Shanghai SIPG the following year, while Argentina icon Carlos Tevez would become a noteworthy example of China's failed strategy to build an attractive league that could compete with Europe in terms of attracting talent.
After enduring a miserable seven months at Shanghai Shenhua, Tevez mocked the Chinese Super League after failing to live up to the huge sums of money he was paid in the country, where he was subsequently accused of being overweight and uncommitted. Speaking on his short-lived stay in Asia, the former Manchester United star told TyC Sports in 2018, "I was on holiday for seven months in China. It's fine for the Shanghai coach and president to criticise me, I didn't know what I was doing there. Chinese footballers are not as naturally skilled like South American or European players… like players who learned football when they were kids. They're not good. Even in 50 years, they still won't be able to compete."
All Eyes On The Saudis
Saudi Pro League (SPL) teams are now making significant advances to lure the desired profile of players from the European big leagues. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema are two of highest-paid players in the league, with the former having signed for Al Nassr in a mammoth £173 million (R4 billion) deal in the January transfer window, while the latter penned a £172 million (R4 billion) contract with Al Ittihad. The organisers have already outlined their goal to globalize the division and become part of the top 10 football leagues in the world, which would be a huge leap from their current global rank of 58. Despite the competitive disparity between the SPL and Europe's top five leagues, the handsome salaries being offered seems to have drawn the attention of more ageing big names as Saudi emissaries fly to different parts of Europe to approach as many as 10 world-famous footballers, according to reports.
The Growing Saudi Wish List
Owners of Premier League outfit Newcastle United, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), acquired a majority stake in four of the SPL's biggest teams earlier this month, namely Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli. Considered the world's richest football club owners, their recent takeover in the Gulf state has resulted in more names being tipped for blockbuster moves to the Arab nation.
At the time of writing, Chelsea star N'Golo Kante was all set to become the latest arrival in the SPL after reportedly agreeing to join Benzema's Al Ittihad on a four-year deal worth €100 million (R1.9 billion), including image rights and commercial endorsements. Al Nassr, meanwhile, are understood to be in talks with Chelsea and Morocco winger Hakim Ziyech, who is said to not be in new manager Mauricio Pochettino's plans at Stamford Bridge. Three more Blues stars, in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kalidou Koulibaly and Romelu Lukaku, are also being courted by Saudi teams, with each of them likely to receive a huge pay rise from their current deals. The Saudis' descent on talent in London is not only limited to the Blues, with Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha and Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris also the subject of serious interest from the Middle East nation. Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez has reportedly been approached by Pitso Mosimane's former side Al Ahli, while outside of the Premier League, the Spanish trio of Sergio Ramos, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have been earmarked by a few teams in the country as well.
FIFPRO's warning
From a financial point of view, luring big names is an expensive undertaking that could fail to guarantee the desired results for all parties involved. As such, after the Ronaldo and Benzema signings, the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) warned players about signing for Saudi clubs as the body deemed the league a common place for contract breaches and unpaid wages. Various teams have been embroiled in such cases in recent years, with Mosimane's abrupt resignation from Al Ahli last week believed to be partly due to missed salary payments dating back to January. The SPL's undeniable track record of such contract disputes should raise red flags for some stars or even coaches who are considering the move.
The Bottom Line
The simple conclusion is that it may take decades for the Saudi Pro League to have the same appeal as European football. There's a lingering perception that many of these sorts of divisions are 'retirement leagues' for ageing stars and that they would need to have a similar pull to footballing giants such as Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, among others, in order to compete. With a notable trend of pursuing players aged 30 and above in the current off-season, the Saudi topflight isn't doing much to negate the argument that it is a haven for money-motivated veterans. Let us not forget the fact that a move to get Lionel Messi to the country ultimately failed too. It will be interesting to see just how many big names the Saudi Pro League can secure ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, but what is certain now already is that the prestige and quality of European football is not something money can buy overnight.
