In 2016, media across Great Britain expressed concern over the growing spending power of the Chinese Super League. The competition, backed by a football-hungry government, spent billions of pounds to acquire talent in hopes of improving the domestic league and overall football infrastructure.
Spoiler alert: The CSL didn’t become the global phenomenon that many media members and football insiders worried about. Now, the Premier League and Europe’s other footballing nations are sweating over a new entrant to the football landscape that is throwing money around to attract players.
🟡 Benzema Ittihadi ⚫️ We are thrilled to welcome Karim @Benzema to our Roshn Saudi League. 📺 Watch the current Ballon d’Or holder speak to us for the very first time about @Ittihad_en, Saudi, and his ambitions for the next season. #Benzema2Ittihad #RoshnSaudiLeague pic.twitter.com/BnAz884P6c— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) June 9, 2023
🟡 Benzema Ittihadi ⚫️ We are thrilled to welcome Karim @Benzema to our Roshn Saudi League. 📺 Watch the current Ballon d’Or holder speak to us for the very first time about @Ittihad_en, Saudi, and his ambitions for the next season. #Benzema2Ittihad #RoshnSaudiLeague pic.twitter.com/BnAz884P6c
Saudi Arabia has opened the purse strings to bring players to the Pro League. The country has a rich football history, and the Pro League has operated since 1976. It has far more history than rival football leagues like the CSL, Major League Soccer, the A-League, and the Qatari Stars League.
Fears are growing over the number of players the league has attracted and could attract in the future. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and others have jumped at the chance to sign for the Saudi Pro League’s teams.
Yet, the fear of top players jumping to Saudi Arabia is a little overblown by the media. Let’s not forget that the player that started the Saudi Revolution, Ronaldo, was a man no top team in Europe wanted to sign – perhaps except Chelsea but they want to sign everyone.
The big names signed to play in the Saudi Pro League shouldn’t send any shivers down the spines of European football fans. Who is in the Pro League currently? Let’s look:
Many of the players who have gone to the Pro League are past their prime like Ronaldo and Koulibaly. In the case of Kante, his injury issues over the past few seasons likely prevented many top teams in Europe from pursuing his signature.
Of the players listed above, only Ruben Neves is a player in his prime. Neves could have played for top teams in Europe but opted to move to Al Hilal. However, it is already believed Neves will join Newcastle on loan to circumvent FFP rules.
The Premier League’s financial power has made it impossible for the other Big Four Leagues to sign its high-priced players. Therefore, the Saudi Pro League’s money is the only one that can rival the Premier League.
The foreign players signed for the Pro League’s 2023-24 season weren’t likely to have played in the Premier League for its upcoming season – outside of Neves.
Despite being the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, Benzema’s age, salary, and playing limitations would have prevented many teams from signing him.
The history of European football is one of its main draws. The competition level is another factor for players. The Pro League and Asian football don’t have the same allure.
Yes, the money may be available for players to earn large sums, but it will take something magical to build a league to rival Europe’s Big Five in terms of quality and entertainment.
Some people will watch the Pro League based on the new players arriving. But like the CSL, most football fans won’t be fussed with tuning in to watch the competition. It takes more than a few high-profile names to make football fans care.