The Saudi League has been a huge topic of conversation since the arrival of some huge names during 2023/24. This includes names such as Ronaldo, Neymar, Benzema and many more stars. There was a lot of talk of Saudi taking over football as they are offering wages that no other country or league can compete with. Only the future will be able to tell us however, it’s very interesting to see how these big money transfers work out.
There have been many stories so far in the Saudi Pro League. Today, we will look at what transfers have been successful and not so successful. Also dive into the title race and see who is leading the goalscoring charts.
Saudi Stars story so far
Cristiano Ronaldo then helped the league gain a lot more traction as he left Man United to also join Al Nassr after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He helped them gain a lot more viewers and showed the Saudi Pro League hierarchy they can attract big names.
Sadio Mane
He's since been joined by Sadio Mane, signed from Bayern Munich by Al Nassr. Mane who had a wonderful career at Liverpool decided to pack his bags and try his luck in Saudi Arabia. He has had a relatively good start to life in Saudi and fans love to watch the Senegalese in action. He will hope to stay and regain his old form back for Al Nassir.
N'Golo Kante
World Cup winner Kante will reportedly make £67.6m ($86m) per year across his four-year contract. Kante has been known to be one of the best midfielders of his time with his energetic performances causing opposition players nightmares. In Saudi he has made 25 appearances and has assisted 5 goals so far. Kante has never been a player to judge on stats for his overall game. His game is to break up opposition attacks and create energy for his team. He has a long contract in Saudi and is expected to stay there for the duration.
Ruben Neves
Al Hilal's £47.1m ($60m) move for Ruben Neves from Premier League side Wolves set a new transfer record for the league in June but that benchmark was later broken by former Barcelona winger Malcom then later Neymar. Malcolm and Neves have had an excellent start to life in Saudi as they sit top of the table unbeaten. Both being hugely influential in this title charge and dominating most games they take part in.
Neymar
Another global superstar who joined Al Hilal was former Barcelona and PSG forward Neymar. This was a major transfer which many believed that he would be way too good for the league. At only 32 this was an incredible story as we would no longer see Neymar competing in European competitions. This transfer has not been a success story, as he got a shocking injury just a few games in writing him off for the rest of the season and he will also miss the Copa America. Many fans will hope that he can stay and show off his Brazilian magic for Al Hilal.
NEYMAR SCORES HIS FIRST AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GOAL. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SmSP0DwfCY
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 3, 2023
Benzema
Ballon d'or winner Benzema has only scored 9 goals for the season and many believe he wants to leave. Benzema before moving to Al Ittihad was banging in the goals for Real Madrid and he was a huge influence for gaining another champions league trophy. Benzema is still an incredibly talented player and most clubs in Europe would snap him up, he may stay and make his mark in Saudi but so far you would say it has not worked out the way he hoped. This still doesn’t mean Saudi fans dont love the Frenchman and he is still impressive in spells.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Finally, there is Ronaldo. What more can you say about the Portuguese star? Scoring 25 goals for Al Nassir sits him at the top of the goalscoring records and he looks like he is loving life in Saudi. Ronaldo is the face of Saudi football and Saudi Arabian fans travel all over to see the star in action. Hitting the Sui on a regular occasion is evidence of the former Madrid players loving life in Saudi Arabia. This has without a doubt been a successful transfer for all parties involved.
Saudi Title Race
Al Hilal have dominated the league by leading the race by 12 points and are still undefeated winning 25 games and drawing 2. Al Hilal have always been one of the best teams in the league but with all the stars arriving many believed Al Nassir and Al-Ittihad would compete at the top. Al Nassir who sit in second have had a good season however, they just cannot compete with Al Hilal who have managed to mould their stars very quickly and is evident when looking at the table.
There is no doubt that Al Hilal will win the league now, next year Ronaldo and Al Nassir will hope to compete again and pip the champions to the title
Who are the Leagues Top Goal scorers?
Ronaldo is obviously the main talking point throughout the season, still smashing in the goals at the grand old age of 39. The Portuguese superstar may only be second in the league with Al Nassir however, he sits at the top goal scoring table.
Many believed Ronaldo sold out by going to Saudi Arabia, but he is showing he is still one of the best in the world when it comes to getting the ball in the back of the net.
Next in the list is former Fulham striker Mitrovic, the Serbian known for his aggressive style of play has been pivotal for Al Hilal title charge. Scoring 22 goals would normally make him the top scorer however, he does have a rather good player in front of him being CR7.
Mitrovic was a top Premier League player before he left to go to Saudi Arabia. This was huge news as once again the Premier League could not compete with the money Saudi was offering. Mitrovic left Fulham for Al Hilal and has not looked back since. Sitting undefeated in the league and second in the top scoring list, he will hope to catch up with Ronaldo in his last few remaining games.
Saudi has been an interesting talking point over the last year and this summer could be no different. It could be another summer to remember for huge money and names moving to the middle east.
