The Saudi Pro League has become one of the most attractive locations when it comes to the world of football. With the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo to Al Nassr after the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup 2022, the local football league in Saudi Arabia caught the attention of many football fans and specialists. The intention of the football executives in the country is to make the Saudi Pro League one of the most matched and competitive competitions around the world. To make that happen, local football clubs invest a lot of money in player transfers.

In this guide, I will follow the latest transfers of players happening in KSA football. Who will follow Ronaldo, Benzema and Kante to the Pro League? Keep reading in order to learn everything you need to know about the latest player transfers, transfer odds and rumours.

Saudi Arabia Latest Transfers Summer Window 2023

The Saudi Arabia football league has never been so attractive for both football fans and professional players. The investments in the Saudi Pro League are enormous in terms of money, and it is not surprising that many football stars are coming to play in the country. Let’s see which are the main football player transfers and what are the details of their moves.

Neymar

• ? Joined -> Al-Hilal
• ? Left -> PSG
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €90M

Neymar is the most significant player joining Al Hilal this summer. He moved from PSG to Al Hilal for 90M EUR. Neymar is the newest addition to the football stars that came to the club and country this year.

Karim Benzema

• ? Joined -> Ittihad Club
• ? Left -> Real Madrid
• ?? Transfer Fee -> Free

The 35-year-old forward is one of the emblematic players of Real Madrid in recent years. He helped the club to win the UEFA Champions League a couple of times, as well as the La Liga. Now, Karim Benzema is ready to score goals for his new club – Al Ittihad.

N’Golo Kante

• ? Joined -> Ittihad Club
• ? Left -> Chelsea
• ?? Transfer Fee -> Free

Al Ittihad’s management team have shown that they know how to do business. They’ve agreed with N’Golo Kante to join Al Ittihad on a free transfer and have made him the second most expensive player in the team as of market value. The defensive-minded player has left Chelsea and will now be part of the Ittihad team for their clashes in the local Saudi Pro League and the Arab Club Champions Cup as well.

Rúben Neves

• ? Joined -> Al-Hilal
• ? Left -> Wolves
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €55M

The Portuguese national made his move to Al Hilal from the Premier League side Wolverhampton. Many clubs were interested in Ruben Neves, but in the end, he decided to join the 18 times Saudi Arabian champion.

Kalidou Koulibaly

• ? Joined -> Al-Hilal
• ? Left -> Chelsea
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €23M

The centre-back has joined Al-Hilal with a move from Chelsea for the transfer fee of €23M. Koulibaly was the main part of the defence of Chelsea and Napoli before that. Now, the Senegalese international will be part of the Saudi Pro League. Will his defensive qualities be enough for the team to win the league this season? We are about to find out!

Marcelo Brozovic

• ? Joined -> Al-Nassr
• ? Left -> Inter
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €18M

Brozovic is the first significant player transfer who joined Al Nassr this summer. Now, he will be part of Cristiano Ronaldo’s team and will try to help the club to win the league title. The Croatian has joined his new teammates from Inter for the amount of €18M. Now, with Brozovic and Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad, AlNassr will be hoping for a decent performance in the league and the King Cup.

Roberto Firmino

• ? Joined -> Al-Ahli
• ? Left -> Liverpool
• ?? Transfer Fee -> Free

The Brazilian striker will wear the shirt of Al Ahli for the upcoming season. Firmino came to the club with a free transfer from Liverpool and will be one of the main stars on the path of the club to their desire of winning the championship for the 4th time.

Sergej Milinkovi?-Savi?

• ? Joined -> Al-Hilal
• ? Left -> Lazio
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €40M

The Serbian international was under the radar of many European clubs throughout the years. However, he left Lazio for joining Al Hilal. The transfer fee is €40M for Sergej Milinkovic Savic, and that makes him one of the most expensive signings in the Saudi Professional League this summer. Together with Rúben Neves, they are considered to be one of the strongest midfield couples in the league.

Edouard Mendy

• ? Joined -> Al-Ahli
• ? Left -> Chelsea
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €18.50M

Mendy is the most expensive goalkeeper in the Pro League for now. He joined Al Ahli from Chelsea for the fee of €18.50M. Mendy has a lot of qualities to show, and he will be a main part of the team this season.

Jota

• ? Joined -> Al-Ittihad
• ? Left -> Celtic
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €29.10M

Jota was one of the most surprising arrivals to KSA during this summer transfer window. He left Celtic as one of the the main goalscorers of the team the last season, and from now on, he will be part of Al Ittihad Club. The team paid €29.10M for the 24-year-old Portuguese.

Seko Fofana

• ? Joined -> Al-Nassr
• ? Left -> Lens
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €25.00M

Seko Fofana became the latest arrival to AlNassr in their pursuit of the upcoming Pro League race and their participation in the Arab Club Champions Cup. Fofana was one of the star players for its former club Lens the previous season. Now, he chooses the Saudi Arabian football league instead of the interest of various European clubs. Lens has received €25M for him.

Riyad Mahrez

• ? Joined -> Al-Ahli
• ? Left -> Man City
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €35.00M

Riyad Mahrez is a 5-time champion of the English Premier League, and now he will be playing for Al Ahli. He was bought from Manchester City for the amount of 35M EUR.

Fabinho

• ? Joined -> Ittihad Club
• ? Left -> Liverpool
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €42.00M

Fabinho left Liverpool for Al Ittihad for the transfer fee of €42.00M. He has joined Benzema, Kante & co and will try to help the club for achieving his goals.

Sadio Mané

• ? Joined -> Al-Nassr
• ? Left -> Bayern Munich
• ?? Transfer Fee -> €30.00M

Sadio Mané is the next significant signing of Al-Nassr this summer. He was bought from Bayern Munchen for 30M EUR and, together with Cristiano Ronaldo, will create an outstanding forward duo for the club.

More Completed Transfers

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Players Who Have Turned Down Moves to Saudi Arabia

Although there are a lot of players coming to the Pro League, there are also footballers that prefer not to join the league this summer. Here is a list of players that refused to come and play in KSA:

• Lionel Messi: Refused to Move to Hilal SC, joined Inter Miami;
• Luka Modric: Refused to Move to Hilal SC;
• Romelu Lukaku: Refused Move to Al-Hilal;
• Pedro: Refused Move to Al-Hilal;
• Jamie Vardy: Refused Move to Al Khaleej;
• Son Heung-Min: Refused Move to Al Ittihad;
• Wilfried Zaha: Refused Move to Al Nassr, joined Galatasaray;

New Managers in the Saudi Pro League

Along with the players, the Saudi Arabia football clubs are investing in managers as well. Some of the leading teams in the league have appointed an experienced head coach with whom they will go for the title race. Let’s discuss the names of the managers who joined the Saudi Professional League.

Jorge Jesus

The Portuguese manager was appointed as the new head coach of Al-Hilal. He has a lot of experience in European football, especially in Portugal. Jesus was in charge of Al-Hilal before when he won the Saudi Super Cup 2018/19.

Luís Castro

The new manager of Al Nassr is the Portuguese Luís Castro. In terms of cups won, Castro is not among the most successful managers. However, his work in Shakhtar Donetsk, Al-Duhail and Botafogo in recent years has shown that he has the ability to make things happen.

Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard was appointed as the new manager of Al Ettifaq. The former English international gained experience at Rangers (Scottish Premiership) and Aston Villa (English Premier League), but now he decided to take the more exotic opportunity of being in charge of the two times Saudi Arabian Champion Al Ettifaq. The club needs to sign players to become eligible to compete with the leaders and help Steven Gerrard to build a strong side.

Matthias Jaissle

Matthias Jaissle was appointed as the new manager of Al-Ahli. The German coach has not got a lot of experience, but recently he was in charge of RB Salzburg. With the Austrian team, Jaissle won the Austrian Bundesliga two times, and also he won once the Austrian Cup.

Slaven Bilic

The Croatian manager Slaven Bilic will be in charge of Al Fateh in the upcoming season. He has a lot of experience in the English Premier League and other competitions, so he will undoubtedly be in help of Al-Fateh in their goals this season.

Among the most important names of club managers in the Saudi Pro League is Nuno Espírito Santo, who is in charge of Al Ittihad. He won the league with Ittihad the last season and will hope to duplicate the success in the coming season. However, the competitiveness will be bigger than ever before.

It is worth mentioning also that José Mourinho has refused to become a manager of Al Ahli.

Saudi Pro League Teams in Season 2023/2024

The current season of the Pro League in KSA will be the 48th edition of the competition. However, it is expected that this will be the most competitive season so far. Let’s take a look at all the teams that will participate in the Saudi Professional League this season:

• Abha
• Al Ahli
• Al Ettifaq
• Al Fateh
• Al Fayha
• Al Hazem
• Al Hilal
• Al Ittihad
• Al Khaleej
• Al Nassr
• Al Okhdood
• Al Raed
• Al Riyadh
• Al Shabab
• Al Taawoun
• Al Tai
• Al Wehda
• Damac

The competition between the 18 teams is expected to start on the 11th of August. The 2023/24 season will complete in May 2024.

FAQ

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