Saudi Pro League: All Major Completed Transfers So Far | OneFootball

It's the story of the summer. The Saudi Pro League has taken over the football transfer market and, whether you're a fan or not, it's highlighted a major shift in football.

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Bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia has become the hottest destination in the beautiful game for players at the end of their careers and also for talents in their prime.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the first superstar to make the bold move to the Middle East and it's becoming more obvious that he was likely promised that an abundance of players would be joining him the following year.

So is this a turning point in the game of football? Will PIF and Saudi Arabia take over the game like they have in golf and boxing or is this simply a bizarre blip? Whatever the case may be, they are making some tasty transfers.

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Karim Benzema - Al Ittihad

Completing a free transfer from Real Madrid, Karim Benzema set the tone for transfers in Saudi Arabia this summer and, despite his age, the Frenchman was still a massive coup for Al Ittihad.

The 35-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Saudi Pro League outfit worth an estimated £345 million, not bad for a player at the end of his career.

It will be interesting to see how Benzema fairs in the Saudi top flight, although, something tells us that he'll be scoring plenty of goals to add to his already impressive career tally.

N'Golo Kante - Al Ittihad

Champions League and World Cup winner N'Golo Kante will be joining his France international teammate Benzema at Al Ittihad.

Kante was also signed on a free transfer for the upcoming Saudi Pro League campaign and will earn around £74 million during his four-year contract with the club.

We all know how good Kante is and if he can keep himself fit, Al Ittihad have a real player on their hands. £74 million you say? Worth every penny.

Ruben Neves - Al Hilal

In perhaps one of the more interesting Saudi Pro League transfers this summer, Wolves received a club record fee for their 24-year-old captain Neves.

£47 million was the total needed to prize Neves away from the Midlands. However, the fact the maestro is only just entering his prime years is what shocked most fans in England and beyond.

Joining on a three-year deal will see the Portugal international play out his prime years in the Saudi Pro League, highlighting that it isn't just players who are at the end of their careers making the move to Saudi.

Kalidou Koulibaly - Al Hilal

Chelsea decided to let go of Koulibaly after the defender failed to impress at Stamford Bridge following his move from Italian giants Napoli.

Nevertheless, the Blues still managed to recoup some of the money they spent on the defender, receiving a £17 million fee from Al Hilal for his services. Not bad, considering some of the form Koulibaly displayed in the Premier League.

A three-year deal at Al Hilal will likely see the Senegal international finish his career in the Saudi Pro League and we are intrigued to see how much of an impact he can have there.

Edouard Mendy - Al Ahli

It seems Saudi Arabia are currently enjoying a raid on Premier League talents and out-of-favour Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has also made the move to Asia.

The 31-year-old penned a deal that has given Chelsea around £16 million, a small sum some would argue for the 2021 Champions League and UEFA Best Mens Goalkeeper winner. If Mendy can recapture some of this form, Al Ahli fans are in for a real treat.

This move is slightly less surprising than most on this list, with Mendy looking for a way out of South London, this was a transfer that suited all parties involved. Hopefully, Mendy can get things back on track and start enjoying some first-team football again.

Marcelo Brozovic - Al Nassr

Brozovic linked up with Cristiano Ronaldo's side Al Nassr for the upcoming Saudi Pro League campaign, penning a three-year deal worth nearly £21 million per season. Crazy numbers.

The 30-year-old had been linked with a move to European giants Barcelona but seemed to favour a move to Saudi Arabia. Could this be a sign of things to come?

The Croatian only just guided Inter to a UEFA Champions League final last season, where the Italian giants battled Manchester City on all fronts.

Whilst the Croatia international isn't the glitziest of transfers, he's certainly still got a lot left in the tank and as such, will be a decent asset for the Saudi Pro League to flaunt.

Jota - Al Ittihad

The 24-year-old winger will join the likes of Kante and Benzema as part of a fierce Al Ittihad setup, one which is arguably the favourite to win the Saudi Pro League 2023/2024.

Jota was a fan favourite at Celtic, scoring 28 goals and providing 26 assists during his two-year stint in Scotland, and is still very much in the prime of his career. It will be interesting to see if he can take his game to another level, playing alongside some of the world's best-ever footballers.

Signing a three-year deal with Al Ittihad will see the Portugal winger play out his best years in Saudi Arabia, leaving historic Scottish Champions Celtic with their hands in their pockets.

Roberto Firmino - Al Ahli

Firmino agreed to a three-year deal to join Jeddah-based club Al Ahli and has proven that he is still very much at the peak of his powers in recent campaigns for Liverpool.

Nevertheless, Firmino became a free agent this summer and with the Reds fully stacked in forward positions, his exit was almost guaranteed.

He joins Edouard Mendy at Al Ahli and despite rumoured interest from the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, it seems Firmino opted to choose his bank account first. That being said, Firmino's grandchildren's grandchildren will now be set for life following his Saudi move. Who could blame him for that?

The 28-year-old midfield maestro seemed to be linked with every top club in Europe in recent transfer windows. Nevertheless, he has opted to move to Al Hilal instead.

£17 million per year until 2026 was enough to convince Milinkovic-Savic to end his eight-year love affair with Rome-based outfit Lazio. We would have loved to have seen the Serbian stay in Europe. However, it's virtually impossible to turn down a contract as lucrative as that.

Arguably the most exciting transfer on this list, the Serbian is an absolute baller when he gets going and will likely take the Saudi Pro League by storm. We can't wait to see how this one plays out.

Seko Fofana - Al Nassr

Fofana helped Lens to a second-place finish last season, only one point behind league winners Paris Saint-Germain, and looked set for a big-money European move.

Nevertheless, Fofana opted to join Al Nassr, the same club as Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, for around £21 million. This move yet again highlights that no European team is safe from losing their star assets to a Saudi-based team.

Astonishingly, Lens announced in a statement that Fofana would be leaving the club as a shareholder, making this transfer story all the more bizarre.

Allan Saint-Maximin - Al Ahli

"Here we go" were the immortal words uttered by the transfer guru Fabrizio Romano in this one and it seems the Newcastle winger is set to move to Al Ahli.

The contract hasn't been fully signed just yet but Romano has suggested that the deal will be until 2026, which means the Frenchman will be playing in the league for 3 years.

A Newcastle fan favourite who never seemed to gain the trust of Eddie Howe, Saint-Maximin is the latest Premier League star set for a Saudi switch.

Hakim Ziyech - Chelsea to Al Nassr.

Paul Pogba - Juventus to Al Ahli.

Jordan Henderson - Liverpool to Al Ettifaq.

Fabinho - Liverpool to Al Ittihad.

Alex Telles - Manchester United to Al Nassr.