Neymar, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte are just some of the big names to sign for Saudi Pro League clubs this summer; the SPL transfer window opened on July 1 and closed on September 7
Friday 8 September 2023 14:58, UK
The 2023 summer transfer window has seen big-name players such as Neymar, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte all move to clubs in Saudi Arabia for lucrative offers.
With the Saudi transfer window now closed, Saudi Pro League clubs had spent a whopping £784.2m during this summer transfer window, according to Transfermarkt data.
But 87 per cent of that spending was splashed out by just four clubs: Al Hilal, Al Ahli, Al Nassr and Al Ittihad. Those teams are the four Saudi Pro League clubs owned by the Public Investment Fund - who also own Newcastle.
Indeed, Al Hilal's £302.1m net spend is more than any other club in the world this summer.
Here is every high-profile player that has moved to the Saudi Pro League since their transfer window opened on July 1, and it will close on September 7.
Aymeric Laporte ended a five-and-a-half-year stay at Manchester City to join Al Nassr in a deal worth £25m.
The centre-back, who won 13 major honours with City, has signed a three-year contract and joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane at the Saudi Pro League side.
After arriving from Athletic Club in January 2018, Laporte played 180 times for City.
Age: 29
Signed from: Manchester City
Fee: £25m
Reported wage: £20m per year
Despite scoring 118 goals since his arrival at PSG in 2017, Neymar was not part of new head coach Luis Enrique's plans, making his departure inevitable. He now joins former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, as well as Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly, to earn six times his PSG contract in Riyadh.
Age: 31
Signed from: Paris Saint-Germain
Fee: £86.3m
Reported wage: £129.4m per year
Sadio Mane signed for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr from Bayern Munich. The ex-Liverpool forward spent only a year in the Bundesliga after leaving Anfield, and now joins up with former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo at his new club.
Age: 31
Signed from: Bayern Munich
Fee: £24m
Reported wage: £33m per year
Allan Saint-Maximin will partner former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez and ex-Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino in Al Ahli's frontline. Saint-Maximin scored 13 goals in 124 games and registered 21 assists for Newcastle after joining in August 2019 from Nice.
Age: 26
Signed from: Newcastle
Fee: £23m
Reported wage: Unknown
Riyad Mahrez has completed his move from Manchester City to Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli. City agreed a fee understood to be worth up to £30m for the Algeria international.
Age: 32
Signed from: Man City
Fee: £30m
Reported wage: £25.6m per year
Jordan Henderson ended his 12-year stay at Liverpool, during which he won every major trophy. Henderson will link up again with ex-Liverpool captain and former team-mate Steven Gerrard, who is manager of Al Ettifaq.
Age: 33
Signed from: Liverpool
Fee: £12m
Reported wage: £18.2m per year
The Brazil international signed a three-year deal with Saudi champions Al Ittihad, who are one of four Saudi top-flight clubs to be owned by the country's Public Investment Fund. Fabinho became the second senior midfielder to leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia this summer after Henderson's move to Al Ettifaq.
Age: 29
Signed from: Liverpool
Fee: £40m
Reported wage: £36.4m per year
The statement signing told the footballing world the league meant business. The deal was completed in the winter window - but Ronaldo arguably paved the way for players from Europe's top leagues moving to Saudi after his acrimonious departure from Manchester United.
Age: 38
Signed from: Man Utd
Fee: Free transfer
Reported wage: £173m per year
Reigning Ballon D'Or winner Benzema followed his former Real Madrid team-mate Ronaldo, leaving the Spanish capital after his contract expired having won five Champions League titles during his 14-year stay.
Age: 35
Signed from: Real Madrid
Fee: Free transfer
Reported wage: £172m per year
The highest-scoring Brazilian in Premier League history, Firmino enjoyed a long and emotional goodbye to the Liverpool supporters, among whom he was a firm favourite after eight years at Anfield.
Age: 31
Signed from: Liverpool
Fee: Free transfer
Reported wage: £17m per year
Like his fellow France international Benzema, Kante headed for the Gulf on a free transfer as he opted to leave Chelsea at the end of his deal, albeit with considerable concerns over his fitness.
Age: 32
Signed from: Chelsea
Fee: Free transfer
Reported wage: £86.2m per year
Mendy lost his place as first-choice goalkeeper at Chelsea having arrived at the club in 2020. He made just 10 Premier League appearances last season before opting for a move to Saudi Arabia.
Age: 31
Signed from: Chelsea
Reported fee: £16m
Reported wage: £9.4m per year
Portugal international Neves had helped Wolves out of the Sky Bet Championship before enjoying five Premier League campaigns at Molineux, establishing himself as one of the highest-regarded midfielders in the division - something that earned him a reported £47m move.
Age: 26
Signed from: Wolves
Fee: £47m
Reported wage: £15.6m per year
The Serbia international scored a record-breaking 43 goals in the Championship during the 2021/22 season to help Fulham return to the top-flight. The 28-year-old then netted 14 Premier League goals in the following campaign - despite making only 24 appearances. However, Fulham manager Marco Silva was resigned to losing his marksman this summer, saying: "He forced everything to leave the club. He wanted to leave."
Age: 28
Signed from: Fulham
Fee: £45m
Reported wage: £21.3m per year
Everton sold Gray to Al Ettifaq on the Saudi deadline day - having spent two years at Goodison Park after signing from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021. The winger made 75 appearances and scored 12 goals for the Toffees.
Age: 27
Signed from: Everton
Fee: £10m
Reported wage: Unknown
After a year-long loan to Seville last season, Manchester United parted ways with Brazil defender Alex Telles for £6m, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Seko Fofana at Al Nassr.
Age: 30
Signed from: Manchester United
Fee: £6m
Reported wage: Unknown
Having hit 15 goals to help Celtic win a domestic treble, former Portugal youth international Jota clearly caught the eye of the money men in Saudi Arabia and made the £25m move at the start of July. However, the Portuguese has already been linked with a move away from the club after receiving limited game time.
Age: 24
Signed from: Celtic
Fee: £25m
Reported wage: £10m per year
Having spent just a single season at Stamford Bridge, Senegal centre-back Koulibaly departed Chelsea for a fee in the region of £20m and with a team-mate and compatriot not far behind.
Age: 32
Signed from: Chelsea
Fee: £17m
Reported wage: £30m per year
Brozovic bowed out of Inter Milan after captaining the Serie A side in their Champions League final loss to Manchester City, the 30-year-old Croatia midfielder heading to Saudi after eight seasons and five major trophies in Italy.
Age: 30
Signed from: Inter Milan
Fee: £15m
Reported wage: £35m per year
Former Liverpool midfielder Wijnaldum signed a three-year deal with Al Ettifaq to join up with Steven Gerrard and former team-mate Jordan Henderson. The 32-year-old had spent last season on loan with Roma.
Age: 32
Signed from: Paris Saint-Germain
Fee: £8.6m
Reported wage: Unknown
Lazio's player of the season in 2020-21 and 2021-22, Milinkovic-Savic had been touted as a midfielder who would make his mark at the highest level of European football. Now, though, he will be turning out in the Saudi Pro League after a reported £34.3m switch.
Age: 28
Signed from: Lazio
Fee: £34m
Reported wage: £17m per year
The Ivory Coast International has joined Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr side, where he signed a three-year deal. Fofana moves to Saudi Arabia having helped Lens finish second in Ligue 1 behind champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Age: 28
Signed from: Lens
Fee: £21.5m
Reported wage: £12.9m per year
Kessie had been linked with Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham, but chose to leave Barcelona and join up with Firmino and Co at Al Ahli - after making his name as a world-class midfield destroyer in Serie A with Atalanta and AC Milan.
Age: 26
Signed from: Barcelona
Fee: £11m
Reported wage: £17m per year
Following the arrivals of Koulibaly, Neves and Milinkovic-Savic, Al Hilal further bolstered their ranks with the signing of the Brazil international, who topped scored in Russia as Zenit clinched the league title.
Age: 26
Signed from: Zenit St Petersburg
Fee: £51.5m
Reported wage: £18.2m per year
The former Celtic striker left Lyon after scoring just three goals in 2022/23 to sign a four-year deal which sees him team up with Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson in Saudi Arabia.
Age: 27
Signed from: Lyon
Fee: Free
Reported wage: Unknown
The Scotland international joined Club Brugge in 2021 and went on to make 32 appearances in the Belgian Pro League. Having spent time on loan in Serie A with Cremonese last season, the opportunity to play under Steven Gerrard proved too good to turn down.
Age: 28
Signed from: Club Brugge
Fee: £6.5m
Reported wage: £15.2m per year
Carrasco joined Atletico Madrid from Monaco in 2015 and spent six years at the club across two spells - either side of a two-year stint at Chinese side Dalian Pro between 2018 and 2020. The Belgium international had entered the final year of his contract.
Age: 30
Signed from: Atletico Madrid
Fee: £13m
Reported wage: Unknown
Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool were reportedly interesting in signing Spain U21 star Veiga - but the promising midfielder chose to join up with Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin at Al Ahli instead. Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos branded that decision as "embarrassing" on social media.
Age: 21
Signed from: Celta Vigo
Fee: £34m
Reported wage: £8.7m per year
Grzegorz Krychowiak, Merih Demiral, Fashion Sakala, Yassine Bounou and Otavio.
