Saudi madness: the transfer budget of the clubs of the Pro League of the country is immense!
3 min read
Just over three weeks are left before the transfer window closes in Europe. As of August 7, clubs in the top 5 European leagues have spent more than $3.8 billion on acquiring new players.
As we know, the Saudi Pro League had already been witnessing a significant increase in transfer budgets and investments in football clubs. However, I don’t have real-time information beyond that point. If there have been further developments since then, I might not be aware of the latest details.
The term “Saudi madness” might refer to the surge in financial investment and spending on player transfers and club operations by Saudi Arabian football clubs, particularly in the Pro League. This phenomenon can be attributed to a few factors:
- State Investment: Saudi Arabia has been strategically investing in various sectors to diversify its economy. Football is one of the areas where they have shown a keen interest, with a focus on boosting the nation’s footballing reputation and entertainment industry.
- Vision 2030: Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan includes the development of sports and entertainment as a means of transforming and modernizing the country. Football plays a crucial role in this strategy, with investments aimed at attracting global attention and talent.
- Attracting International Players: To elevate the level of competition and increase the league’s global appeal, Saudi clubs have been pursuing international players of high calibre. The lure of substantial wages and improved facilities has made it an enticing destination for players from different parts of the world.
- Infrastructure Development: Alongside player acquisitions, significant investments have been made to upgrade stadiums, training facilities, and other infrastructure. This has led to an overall improvement in the league’s appeal to both players and fans.
- Global Recognition: High-profile signings and notable players participating in the Saudi Pro League can lead to increased media coverage and global recognition, furthering the goals of Vision 2030.
The leaders are traditionally the English Premier League, whose clubs’ transfer budget this summer is approaching two billion. But more interesting is another fact: the Saudi Pro League teams already operate with a budget of almost $490 million, which is more than the Spanish La Liga. And in terms of net spending on transfers, Saudi Arabia is second only to the same Premier League.
According to analysts, Pro League’s net transfer “loss” is $473 million. The same figure for the Premier League is 912 million. It is noteworthy that in the list of the most generous championships, only three leagues are unprofitable. The French Ligue 1 has been added to the Premier League and Pro League – $ 75 million “minus”. The German Bundesliga has a positive transfer balance of $265 million, Italy’s Serie A $204 million and the Spanish La Liga $80 million.
In total, the transfer budget of the Saudi Pro League is 489 million, and it is quite likely, especially given the fact that the transfer window in the Saudi Arabian championship closes on September 9, it will overtake the Bundesliga – 501 million and the French Ligue 1 – 542 million.
Note that this summer alone, the Pro League clubs bought six players whose transfer value is 30 million euros or more: Mane (Alo-Nasr, 30 million), Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli, 35 million), Milinkovic-Savic (Al-Hilal , 40 million), Fabinho (Ittihad, 46.7 million), Neves (Al-Hilal, 55 million) and Malcolm (Al-Hilal, 60 million). 10 football players cost Saudi clubs more than 20 million euros.
