The Saudi Pro League appears to be the latest plaything of wealthy owners looking to boost their profiles across the world.
A number of football’s biggest stars including Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have moved to the Gulf state, whilst strong rumours persist around a swoop for Lionel Messi. The contracts on offer are some of the most lucrative ever seen in the history of the sport.
The current landscape appears particularly familiar to one seen only a few years ago with the emergence of the Chinese Super League. Clubs in Asia splashed the cash to unprecedented levels before new guidance was brought in which limited the spending.
Mirror Football takes a look at the most expensive signings during that initial boom to see if Saudi clubs could match their spending.
Oscar - Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG (£54m)
Still the most expensive signing in the history of the Chinese Super League, Brazilian playmaker Oscar made a shock move in December 2016. In leaving Chelsea, he put pen to paper on a £400k-per-week deal with Shanghai SIPG.
Despite the league falling out of the limelight since his initial arrival, Oscar actually remains in China. He has made 175 appearances for Shanghai but has just a solitary title to his name.
He recently revealed that he has ‘no regrets’ over pursuing a move to China during his peak years.
Who do you think could be the next to move to the Saudi Pro League? Share your predictions in the comments below
Hulk - Zenit St Petersburg to Shanghai SIPG (£50m)
The original ‘new money’ league, Oscar’s compatriot Hulk found himself earning a pretty penny with Russian outfit Zenit. That was until he got the opportunity to complete a £50m move to Shanghai.
He too signed a huge contract and went on to enjoy five seasons in China, where he scored 77 goals in 145 appearances. The 49-time Brazil international brought his spell with the club to an end in 2021 as he returned to his homeland with Atletico Mineiro.
Hulk has continued his goalscoring form and helped the side to the Brazilian title in his debut campaign.
Alex Teixeira - Shakhtar Donetsk to Jiangsu Suning (£45m)
A third successive Brazilian, former Shakhtar Donetsk star Teixeira is potentially one of the most infamous examples of players being attracted to the Chinese Super League. He looked set for a move to Liverpool but instead agreed to a £45m move to Jiangsu Suning.
He represented the Chinese side for five seasons before being allowed to leave as a free agent due to the club’s financial problems. They have since ceased all football operations.
Teixeira, like Hulk, is back in Brazil with Vasco da Gama and helped the side to promotion during his debut campaign.
Paulinho - Barcelona to Guangzhou Evergrande (£38m)
One of the more intriguing signings in the history of the Chinese Super League, the former Spurs flop actually had two spells in the country. He initially signed for Guangzhou Evergrande in 2015 for a relatively small fee of just £10m.
Paulinho enjoyed a positive time of things as he claimed back-to-back titles and put together an impressive goalscoring record. His form was good enough to secure a move to Spanish giants Barcelona.
The midfielder became somewhat of a cult hero in Catalonia as he added a LaLiga crown to his collection. His stint in Spain was brief as he returned to Guangzhou initially on loan before a £38m deal.
Jackson Martinez - Atletico Madrid to Guangzhou Evergrande (£38m)
A lethal goalscorer during his time with Porto, Colombian striker Jackson Martinez failed to live up to the billing with Atletico Madrid. He scored just three goals in 22 appearances for the Spanish side before he moved to China.
That move went even worse as Martinez netted on just four occasions in three years - injury keeping him restricted to the sidelines for large swaths. The striker eventually retired after a two-season spell with Portimonense in Portugal.
Cedric Bakambu - Villarreal to Beijing Guoan (£36m)
One of the most sought-after wide players in European football following an excellent stint with Villarreal, Bakambu’s next port of call was surprisingly Beijing Guoan who paid £36m for his services.
Unlike Martinez, the Congolese forward was able to translate his goalscoring form. He netted 58 goals in 87 appearances but could only win a solitary Chinese FA Cup.
Bakambu eventually left for Marseille but struggled for consistency before a move to join Greek giants Olympiakos.
Yannick Carrasco - Atletico Madrid to Dalian Yifang (£27m)
A 64-time Belgian international, Atletico Madrid forward Yannick Carrasco actually fell out of international contention during his time in China. He initially left the Spanish capital in 2018 to join Dalian Yifang.
He made 52 appearances for the side over two seasons, scoring 24 goals, before he decided to move back to Madrid. Carrasco penned an initial loan deal before rejoining on a permanent basis.
The wideman has gone on to play a further 123 times for Atleti and helped them to the LaLiga crown in 2021.
Anthony Modeste - Koln to Tianjin Quanjian (£26m)
A Koln icon, French striker Modeste surprisingly turned his back on the German side in favour of a move to Tianjin Quanjian in 2017. His goalscoring record for the side was relatively decent with 16 goals in 29 outings.
He soon got bored in China though and decided to return to Germany. It all got very messy as Modeste sued Tianjian Quanjian, whilst the Chinese club made a counterclaim.
He was allowed to return to Koln as he fired them back into the Bundesliga. He signed for Borussia Dortmund last term as a temporary replacement for Sebastien Haller and now finds himself without a club.
Ramires - Chelsea to Jiangsu Suning (£25m)
With a Premier League title, Champions League crown, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League to his name, there wasn’t much more for Ramires to win during his time at Chelsea. He chose to bid farewell to Stamford Bridge in 2016 as he became the latest Jiangsu Suning recruit.
The Brazilian midfielder played consistently for just two seasons in China and was released a year after his final appearance for the club. He moved back to Brazil with Palmeiras where he won the Brazilian cup and the Copa Libertadores.
Ramires officially retired from football in September 2022.
Marko Arnautovic - West Ham to Shanghai SIPG (£22.5m)
It is certainly fair to say that the Austrian has enjoyed a colourful career. After spells with Twente, Inter Milan and Werder Bremen, he arrived in England with Stoke City.
After four seasons, West Ham decided to spend big-money on Arnautovic. Rumours of a move to China originally surfaced in January 2019, with the forward’s brother claiming he wanted to pursue a switch.
He eventually penned a new contract with West Ham before joining Shanghai SIPG only months later. Arnautovic scored 20 goals in 39 outings before joining Bologna.
He was rumoured to be of interest to Man Utd last summer after fan protests saw a move vetoed.
So, what about the Saudi Pro League?
The Saudi League has not yet matched the huge spending seen in China but it may only be a matter of time. Take a look at the league’s record signings so far:
Matheus Pereira - West Brom to Al-Hilal (£15.5m)
Ahmed Musa - Leicester to Al-Nassr (£14m)
Pity Martinez - Atlanta United to Al-Nassr (£13.7m)
Souza - Fenerbahce to Al-Ahli (£10.3m)
Giuliano - Fenerbahce to Al-Nassr (£9m)
