The headline story of the recent transfer window is the influx of high-profile footballers to Saudi Arabia, but there are seven superstars who turned down opportunity to earn big money in the Middle East this season!
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Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Neymar are among the long list of top players who have joined teams in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) in recent months, moves many believe are motivated heavily by the lucrative deals on offer in the Middle Eastern country.
It was Cristiano Ronaldo's January switch to Al Nassr that seemed to spark the start of this new movement, with Portugal's captain becoming the highest-paid footballer in history following his departure from Manchester United. Mohamed Salah is reportedly still being pursued by champions Al Ittihad, the same club Benzema and Kante joined, although Liverpool have so far insisted that the Egypt international is not for sale.
Fans around the world have expressed concern for the European game and the ease with which these top footballers are leaving more competitive leagues seemingly for financial reasons. While the span of a professional football career is considered generally short, and therefore there is some sort of understanding that the money in the Gulf state can be life-changing, there seems to be a worry that the values of the beautiful of the game are at risk. Toni Kroos has publicly hit out of those who've joined teams in the SPL, while Odion Ighalo, who currently plays in the league, has said players don't go to Saudi Arabia for passion but rather for money.
To those worried that this recent trend is harming the integrity of the sport they love so dearly, maybe it's time we remind you of some footballers who turned down opportunities to play in the SPL in recent months, starting with Kylian Mbappe.
Here are seven players who have turned down approaches from Saudi clubs:
The 24-year-old will be staying at Paris Saint-Germain for now, but this didn't appear to be the case in July after he was left out of the club's pre-season plans after he made it clear he was not extending his contract in France. While he and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi have seemingly made up, it was reported at the time that Al Hilal had moved to sign him, with the view of paying him €200 million (R4.1 billion) for just a single campaign. Mbappe, though, didn't even consider the offer and is back scoring goals for the French champions.
Lionel Messi is another high-profile footballer who rejected the chance to sign for Al Hilal, choosing instead to join Inter Miami in the MLS. While the Argentine will still earn big money in the United States, he did suggest that, if he wanted more, he would have moved to the SPL. Bernardo Silva and Luka Modric were also courted by Saudi teams until they both signed new deals at Manchester City and Real Madrid, respectively.
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Romelu Lukaku was also linked with a switch to the Gulf country before deciding he wanted to continue his career in Europe, with the Belgium international having since joined Roma on loan from Chelsea. Angel Di Maria, meanwhile, reportedly could have gone to the SPL after leaving Juventus as a free agent, but chose to return to Benfica. The Portuguese club's president, former AC Milan and Portugal midfielder Rui Costa, said in a recent interview that the 35-year-old didn't even ask about his salary during preliminary discussions.
Finally, there is Sergio Ramos, who this week returned to his boyhood club, Sevilla. While some supporters of the Spanish club are said to be unhappy about his acquisition, it perhaps should be admired that he has gone back to where it all started for him considering the significant offers he had received from Saudi clubs.
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