10 big Saudi Pro League transfers to watch out for next summer

Updated: 8 Sept 2023 11:24 BST
7 min read

Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia, Arsenal, Chelsea — © ProShots

With the Saudi Pro League now closed, a lot of clubs in Europe can calm their nerves. There were some prominent names that the division was eyeing up, and had they got them, the selling clubs would have been without a paddle given their window slammed shut a week ago.

There is something of a trend in the players that the Pro League clubs are buying. Typically, they want the older stars who are particularly well-known and have been with big clubs. The Pro League is, in fact, a bit like the polar opposite of the staticos online, who look at the data and fawn over Enzo Le Fee’s Shot-Creating Actions and Progressive Passes per 90 minutes. These Saudi moves are done very much without a blueprint in mind at all.

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With that in mind, FootballTransfers feels it can map out who they will go for in the future. Here we go through some of the names that we could see moving to the Pro League in 2024.

READ: Saudi Pro League summer transfers 2023: All the Done Deals

Kylian Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain kept their star asset throughout the summer despite the links to Real Madrid. There was very much a sense of deja vu with the whole saga, only this time there was the inclusion of Al Hilal's offer to Mbappe, alongside a €300million offer to PSG. His current club accepted but he did not.

It’s not clear where Mbappe’s future will end up in 2024 - it’s possible that he refreshes his contract in the French capital. But you can bet your bottom dollar that the Pro League will be sniffing around once more at who’s arguably the world’s best player.

Mohamed Salah

At 31 years old, Salah is past his prime. That’s not to say he’s poor and not of world-class ability anymore, that’s very much not the case - only that the pinnacle has been and gone. His legacy as a Liverpool legend is firmly cemented, having lifted the Champions League, Premier League, League Cup, and FA Cup at least once.

With the Reds, Salah has ‘completed football’. There is no question of his love for Liverpool, but given his age, the price clubs in Saudi see him as, and the fact the Reds are in the midst of an overhaul, a deal in 2024 has an air of inevitably about it.

© ProShots - Salah was heavily linked with a move to the Pro League this window

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Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann recently admitted about a potential move away from Atletico Madrid during the summer. There were reports that Al-Nassr were keen. “There were calls and contacts, I was focused on my club,” he said via GFFN. "I’m 15 goals away from the record for the club’s all-time top scorer,” said the Atletico Madrid forward, adding “It’s as I told my sister: I’m not moving, I’m staying here.” You can count this to be one next year, with the Frenchman 32 in March.

Harry Maguire

Harry Maguire remains a Manchester United player, but it’s clear that Erik ten Hag wants rid of him. The defender was linked with a move to West Ham over the summer, but the London club’s offer was knocked back by the Red Devils.

With the coach not wanting him around and the Pro League more than happy to capture England internationals - such as Jordan Henderson - maybe there is a deal to be done here.

Casemiro

There are a number of complaints about the Pro League, but one thing we can’t deny is how much it helps some of the clubs get rid of their stars on high wages. Casemiro is on a significant salary at Man Utd. And given he is in his veteran years, would a sizeable offer from the Middle East be enough for the Red Devils to consider a sale?

He is a former Real Madrid player, and would be a former Man Utd player if he left. This would be right up the street of the Pro League given the high-profile nature of their signings so far.

Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski remains one of the best No.9s in the world today. He is practically leading the Barcelona line all by himself, but his years are slowly passing by and there is no getting away from the fact that he must only have a couple of seasons left.

Having just turned 35, Barcelona will be actively searching for his replacement. An ideal scenario would be to keep the Poland international but given the club’s financial plight, they would be hard-pressed to turn away a large sum.

Romelu Lukaku

Romelu found himself in the midst of a saga where he somehow managed to disrupt the transfer business of Chelsea, Inter, and Juventus simultaneously. He landed a move to AS Roma, to work under Jose Mourinho but it is just a loan deal from the Blues.

The club are looking to find a way out for the striker, and given there relationship to the Pro League, there really is only one viable solution for next year.

Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling has looked back to his very best so far this season, but Chelsea continue to be linked with the best young talents in world football and Sterling may become surplus to requirements like Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy, who were both shipped to Saudi Arabia in 2021.

The winger is having to contend with an onslaught of new recruits, and undoubtedly that will be the same case for next season. An offer - or at least an approach for the former Man City man seems almost certain.

Marquinhos

If PSG were a club most players use as a vehicle for big wages and nothing more, Marquinhos is the antithesis of this. He bleeds for the club and has been one of their standout players for several years. The Brazilian recently spoke about being able to take on the captain’s armband.

He said: “Everything I do, I don’t do it for the cameras, it’s for my teammates, it’s for the club, to lead it in the right direction. We make mistakes like everyone else but we don’t hide, we continue to move forward, to work together for the club.”

The defender is much younger than most might think, just 29, but he’s been with PSG since the 2013-14 season. There is an overhaul in the works and after such a lengthy spell, maybe he even would be looking for a way out of the Parc des Princes next year.

© ProShots - Marquinhos is part of the furniture at PSG

Adrien Rabiot

Adrien Rabiot was considered by Ten Hag at Man Utd before he ended up signing a fresh deal with Juventus. A somewhat under-rated player, but it would be a fair assessment to state the start of his career promised a lot more than what he ended up delivering. The Frenchman might see a move to the Saudi Pro League next year as a perfect opportunity.

Jorginho

Jorginho only moved to Arsenal last January but recently his agent was talking up the prospect of a move away from the Emirates, and a return to Italy. Speaking via Tutto Napoli, he said: “Italy is always in our hearts, never say never. If there is an Italian team that needs Jorge and his characteristics, we will see what will happen. “Jorginho’s characteristic is unique and needed by all teams in the world. When the coach needs that characteristic he will call Jorge.”

The 31-year-old has just found three appearances off the bench in the new season, which is hardly a brilliant return. Perhaps a lucrative wage packet could convince him to turn down any move from Napoli.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Kepa Arrizabalaga recently upset Chelsea supporters by criticising the project and saying that he is very happy on loan at Real Madrid. The trouble is, the Spaniard is there just on loan, and there is no indication yet that Los Blancos would be making the deal permanent. Another player heading to Pro League from the Chelsea roster looks more than likely.