Saudi football leaders are bracing for another onslaught in the summer transfer window as authorities target big-name players they want to sign from the Middle East.
Mo Salah has always been linked with the Saudi Professional League (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool stars have been named on a huge shortlist of 50 players for the Saudi Professional League. Saudi Arabia’s leaders are set to attack this summer’s transfer window and flood the league with even more big names.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Neymar and Sadio Mane are just some of the names that have been prized from Europe to the Middle East since 2022. But the authorities don’t just want to sign older players, with players at their peak age also on the shortlist.
According to talkSPORT, Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli, United captain Bruno Fernandes and Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior are on the radar of clubs in Saudi Arabia. The report added that Liverpool’s Mo Salah, United midfielder Casemiro and Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski are also on the list.
Other Premier League players targeted include Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana. Their interest in Salah and Fernandes is not surprising. This is because both have been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in the past.
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Salah is a target of Al Hilal, Neom and Al Qadosia, with Liverpool reportedly saying they will not sell him in January. Saudi Professional League sporting director Michael Emenalo has a long-standing relationship with the Egyptian player, 33, and will be the driving force behind any move.
Fernandes, meanwhile, had the chance to join Al Hilal last summer and was offered a staggering £700,000-a-week contract. After much negotiation, the 31-year-old Portuguese ultimately rejected the move in favor of staying at United, but felt “hurt” by United’s desire to sell him.
Fernandes told Canal 11: “I felt from the club, ‘If you leave, it’s not so bad for us.’ It hurt a little bit. I’m more sad than hurt. I’m a player that no one can criticize, I’m always available and I always do my best.”
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Bruno Fernandes could have joined Al Hilal last summer (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
“I could have left during this transfer window and I would have earned more. I could have won many trophies this season, but I decided not to go, not just for family reasons, but because I love the club with all my heart.”
The report also explains that several Saudi clubs are undergoing a new phase of privatization. All four teams currently under the management of the Saudi Public Investment Fund – Al Hilal, Al Nasr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli – will have new owners in the long term.
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