Without knowing, Manchester United have inadvertently kickstarted the next hotbed of world football.
Many leftfield countries have tried - and failed - to gain ground on traditional football nations by flashing the cash. Russia in the early 2010s attracted players like Samuel Eto’o and Roberto Carlos to the region, an experiment that soon nosedived into the abyss.
Another global superpower, China, also gave the sport a crack a decade later. High-profile names like Rafa Benitez flew out to the Far East but, as soon as the Covid-19 pandemic ground the planet to a standstill, the house of cards came crashing down.
However, unlike their predecessors... Saudi Arabia mean business.
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The latest shark in the tank is a Gulf state backed by a sovereign wealth fund worth around £600billion. Cries of sportswashing were plausible when they first entered the sporting arena but, in truth, Western media are scrutinising their regime like never before - hardly the behaviour of a country wanting to sweep alleged atrocities under the carpet.
And that microscope is only going to get bigger as the Middle Eastern nation increases its influence on the world stage. Whether that be through Formula 1, boxing super fights, Newcastle United or, more recently, the complete takeover of golf, Saudi Arabia are going nowhere.
Last December, Man United were global news when Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive Piers Morgan interview signalled the end of his Premier League career. Offloading the superstar, a logical decision at the time, has unknowingly provided the catalyst for football’s latest big spender.
That is a fact that has not gone unnoticed by Ronaldo himself.
“Let’s bug people a bit,” Ronaldo told reporters in midweek. “I knew that going to Saudi Arabia would open a box - and I wasn’t wrong.
“I’m sure in a couple of years or three, this league is going to be one of the most important leagues in the world. We can see that already. Karim (Benzema) left (Real Madrid) already and I am 1000 percent sure that many more players will.”
Reports suggest Benzema will earn £86million per year - equating to £1.6million per week - at Saudi side Al-Ittihad. Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric is also pondering over a big-money move that will signal the end of his career at any serious level.
While those two - and Ronaldo - are approaching the end of their careers, the Saudi Pro League is also attracting players who have plenty left in the tank. N’Golo Kante and Wilfried Zaha could both cut it in the Champions League yet are reportedly considering moves to the Middle East.
With the league’s lavish spending still in its infancy, over-the-hill players are likely to seek pastures new for one last payday. But given time, there is no reason why Saudi Arabia, serious about fulfilling their Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy away from oil, can become a home for the world’s best - just as they now are with golf.
Man United let the jack out of the box by shipping Ronaldo out on a free transfer six months ago. An innocuous move to a seemingly irrelevant club has now created a domino effect, with players starting to view Saudi Arabia as a viable option.
It will take time - and bucket loads of dosh - for the Pro League to emerge as an authentic rival, rather than a cash grab for has-beens and mercenaries. However, anyone who argues they are not fishing in the same pool as Man United are delusional - and Saudi clubs now pose a direct threat to Old Trafford chiefs in the transfer market.
A Manchester Evening News special souvenir edition - Fergie's First - charts United's 1992/93 title-winning campaign and you can get your hands on one here
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