While the Chinese competition once brought in a number of big players to its own competition, Saudi Arabia took a much more serious approach by luring the top players with Saudi money. Previously, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mané moved to the Saudi League, now Neymar has also moved to Al-Hilal.

According to French media, the Brazilian star will earn a salary of almost 160 million euros over two seasons. 31-year-old Neymar is no longer having fun at his club Paris Saint-Germain and has decided to choose money over new sporting adventures. Al-Hilal reportedly offered around 90 million euros.

The driving force behind all these massive European transfers is the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). The government fund is owned by the four biggest clubs in the Saudi Pro League and is overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The man who is also one of the owners of Newcastle United.

The Saudi League made a number of changes this season. For example, not seven, but eight foreign players may be under contract per club. The competition will also be expanded from sixteen to eighteen participating teams. According to Bin Salman, three hundred of the world’s best footballers should play in the oil country in the short term.

Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in football is not only limited to the sport of football. In golf, many of the top international players were also bought off the PGA Tour last year. How about a Grand Prix on the Jeddah street circuit in Formula 1? And now Jumbo-Visma is looking for a new main sponsor, Saudi NEOM City (grand architectural plan) is mentioned as one of the options to take over the cycling team.

Below are all the big transfers from clubs in the Saudi League.

• Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)
• Roger Ibañez (AS Roma)
• Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle United)
• Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)
• Franck Kessie (FC Barcelona)
• Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)

• Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
• Fabinho (Liverpool)
• N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
• Jota (Celtic)

• Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
• Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan)
• Seko Fofana (RC Lens)
• Alex Telles (Manchester United)
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

• Habib Diallo (RC Strasbourg)

• Neymar (PSG)
• Malcolm (Zenith)
• Ruben Neves (Wolves)
• Sergej Milinković-Savić (Lazio)
• Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)

• Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
• Jack Hendry (Brugge Club)
• Moussa Dembele (Olympique Lyon)

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