Five players who could join the Saudi Pro League this summer

Cameron Smith

Updated: 27 Jun 2025 14:58 CDT
4 min read

The allure of Saudi Arabia has certainly diminished since a mega summer transfer window in 2023, although several high-profile stars are still set to join the richest league in football later this year.

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Not deterred by the rejections received by Mohamed Salah, Vinicius Jr, Bruno Fernandes and Victor Osimhen, Saudi clubs are once again set to splash the cash in a bid to raise the level of their competition.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through five players who could join the Saudi Pro League this summer.

Ederson (Man City)

Ederson was extremely close to joining the Saudi Pro League last summer, but he eventually opted to snub interest from the Middle East in order to remain at Manchester City.

However, an exit is certainly on the cards in 2025, especially as he only has one year remaining on his current contract at the Etihad Stadium.

In addition, Man City are already preparing for Ederson’s eventual departure by targeting FC Porto’s Diogo Costa and Lille’s Lucas Chevalier.

Theo Hernandez (AC Milan)

Theo Hernandez is looking increasingly likely to leave AC Milan, who were already open to selling him in January, when Serie A minnows Como made an ambitious offer to sign the France international.

Hernandez rejected the approach, and he also turned down Al-Hilal in the first summer window ahead of the Club World Cup. However, new Hilal boss Simone Inzaghi has been pushing hard to convince the full-back to reconsider his stance on a Saudi move.

Inzaghi's efforts have reportedly met with success as Hernandez has changed his mind and is now close to swapping Milan for Riyadh.

Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

Darwin Nunez has endured a fairly miserable spell at Liverpool, since his €85 million move from Benfica in 2022, and his time at Anfield is scheduled to end this summer.

Arne Slot’s side are eager to sell the Uruguayan in order to fund a move for a new striker, and Saudi Arabia has been touted as one of Nunez's potential destinations.

Al-Nassr wanted him in January, and there is again Saudi interest. That said, Nunez is reportedly keen to remain in Europe and is currently in talks with Napoli.

Joao Felix (Chelsea)

Chelsea re-signed Joao Felix in a seemingly pointless €52m deal in summer 2024, and his second spell at Stamford Bridge has been predictably disappointing.

After spending the second half of the season on loan at AC Milan, Felix looks set for another move away from Chelsea, with the Blues preferring a permanent exit.

Promoted Saudi side NEOM SC, the football club of the Saudi government's eponymous trillion-dollar urban construction project, are reportedly plotting an ambitious move for the Portugal international.

Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)

Al-Nassr lodged a shock €65m bid for Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma in January, and they reportedly prepared a second offer worth €105m before being told that he wasn’t for sale.

However, the Saudi Pro League side could rekindle their interest this summer and Brighton may be more amenable to a sale during the off-season.

Mitoma is understood to be happy at the AMEX Stadium, though, so Saudi Arabian officials would need to convince him to leave the Seagulls and move to the Middle East.