Senegalese footballer Sadio Mané, in training with his new club Al-Nassr, on August 2, 2023 in Riyadh. HANDOUT/REUTERS
“Saudi Arabia has changed the transfer market. » Pep Guardiola, Manchester City coach, summed up the general feeling by commenting on Saturday July 29 on the departure of his striker Riyad Mahrez, who received “an incredible offer” of the Al-Ahli club. Because many other departures to the Saudi Pro League (SPL) agitate the summer transfer window.
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Saudi Arabia is increasing its investments in the sport power, especially in football. After the acquisition of Newcastle United by the sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund (PIF) in the fall of 2021, and, in addition to its desire to organize a World Cup, the kingdom embarked on a massive recruitment campaign for its championship national.
It impresses with the “off-market” sums granted in transfer compensation and salaries, and above all by the targeted profiles. “A few months ago, when Cristiano Ronaldo was the only one to leave, nobody thought that so many top players would play in the Saudi league”Guardiola continued.
This is not a first. The coach himself had completed his career as a player in Qatar when, in the mid-2000s, the emirate attracted stars who came to collect a nest egg from pre-retirees. Russia and China imitated it during the following decade, but these experiments were ephemeral: Qatar is content today with a modest national competition, China has opted for a more long-term strategy.
Not just aging stars
We find in Saudi Arabia aging stars, such as Karim Benzema, and very good players in their early thirties such as N’Golo Kanté, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson or Kalidou Koulibaly. But also footballers in the prime of life, like Edouard Mendy, Sadio Mané or Marcelo Brozovic. All would have their place in the best European teams.
Others have several years ahead of them at their best, such as Seko Fofana (28), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (28), Ruben Neves (26) or Portuguese hopeful Jota (24). From where a certain emotion, if one judges that these ones sacrifice their sporting ambitions with exorbitant remunerations. The capital of the eighteen local clubs being state-owned – since June, four have been the property of PIF: Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli – their means are considerable.
Also read: Striker Sadio Mané leaves Bayern Munich and European football for Saudi club Al-Nassr
Football is for the country’s youth a symbol of modernity that the Wahhabi regime ended up embracing by putting aside its reluctance towards this Western culture. However, can the Saudi way of life be suitable for the long term for the people of contemporary footballers, beyond the Muslims who will give a religious significance to this exile?
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