What has happened to Saudi Pro League's big spending?

The 2024-25 Saudi Pro League play kicks disconnected connected Thursday, 22 August. A twelvemonth ago, it seemed location was a prima subordinate arriving successful Riyadh, Jeddah and elsewhere connected a regular basis.

In all, more than £700m was spent connected nan likes of Neymar, Karim Benzema and Riyad Mahrez among others who joined Cristiano Ronaldo successful nan Middle East.

If location were expectations that this summertime would beryllium arsenic free-spending arsenic nan last, they person not yet been met, though location has been a wide downturn successful nan wider transportation market.

"It has been a comparatively quiet summertime crossed world football," Simon Chadwick, professor of athletics and geopolitical system astatine Skema Business School successful Paris, told BBC Sport.

Chadwick attributes it to "a operation of harsh economical conditions, nan precocious finishing of continental nationalist squad tournaments, and clubs crossed various territories trying to navigate section financial regulations".

While location person been links to Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Real Madrid guardant Vinicius Jr, location has yet to beryllium an earth-shattering transportation woody successful Saudi Arabia this summer.

Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney is nan latest sanction of interest, pinch nan Bees rejecting a £35m bid for nan 28-year-old from Al-Ahli past week.

"The problem pinch spending large connected costly imported talent is that sustaining it intends continuing to do truthful successful perpetuity," added Chadwick.

"This is expensive, doesn't guarantee success, tin engender instability, and undermines national-team performances.

"Inside Saudi Arabian shot location is apt to beryllium immoderate much considered and strategical reasoning correct now, compared to 2 years ago."

There is plentifulness of existing prima powerfulness successful nan state however, pinch astir of nan large names still there. The convention sent 14 players to nan European Championship this summer, including Merih Demiral - Al-Ahli's Turkey centre-back.

"We showed everyone that nan Saudi Pro League is not an easy league," Demiral told BBC Sport.

"We are moving very difficult present - our training and our games are not easy for illustration galore group think."

Al-Ahli are 1 of nan 'big four', owned by nan aforesaid country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) that backs Newcastle United and vanished 3rd successful nan Saudi Pro League past season.

Al-Hilal were ascendant and strolled to a 19th home convention title, finishing 14 points clear of Al-Nassr, and extending their ain world grounds for consecutive lucifer wins to 34.

Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ruben Neves arrived from Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Serbia guardant was outscored only by Ronaldo, and Neves was out-assisted only by Mahrez, while nan defence which included Kalidou Koulibaly was miserly.

The large mobility is erstwhile Neymar, who played conscionable 5 games earlier damaging knee ligaments successful October, will beryllium back. September is nan hope.

Riyadh rivals Al-Nassr ended nan play empty-handed contempt scoring 100 goals and finishing 17 points supra Al-Ahli successful third.

The truth that Al-Nassr were a winning instrumentality has not stopped nan unit connected coach Luis Castro aft a mediocre pre-season, which culminated connected Saturday successful a 4-1 conclusion by Al-Hilal successful nan Super Cup final.

Ronaldo will erstwhile again predominate nan headlines, though it remains to beryllium seen if he tin lucifer his 35 goals past play - a convention record. The 39-year-old has nan likes of Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte and Marcelo Brozovic alongside him.

Jeddah's Al-Ittihad were deserved champions successful 2022-23, but vanished 5th past twelvemonth contempt signing N’Golo Kante, Benzema and Fabinho. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo did not past long, and neither did his successor Marcelo Gallardo.

The Argentine has been replaced by Laurent Blanc. With nary Asian Champions League commitments and nan signing of Moussa Diaby from Aston Villa for astir £50m successful nan summer's biggest woody truthful far, fans are expectant.

Neighbours Al-Ahli besides person attacking riches pinch Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Firas Al-Buraikan, nan league's starring Saudi scorer.

Allan Saint-Maximin has near for Fenerbahce successful Turkey, but location are signs successful pre-season that erstwhile Liverpool guardant Firmino, not astatine his champion past clip around, is looking sharp.

The club's celebrated service of green-clad fans will want nan third-place decorativeness nether 36-year-old German coach Matthias Jaissle to beryllium a level for a title situation this time.

"Our fans are really astonishing because, particularly erstwhile we spell to distant games, they travel retired successful immense numbers - for illustration 20,000 group each game," said Demiral.

"This is truthful bully for us, particularly arsenic players, because we consciousness their support each nan time. In nan Saudi Pro League location aren't immoderate fans for illustration ours, which is why we're truthful lucky."

Overall however, nan convention will beryllium hoping to amended connected past season's mean attendance of conscionable complete 8,000. The large 4 are by acold nan champion supported, and improving nan numbers successful nan remainder of nan convention is simply a priority.

It is nan aforesaid connected nan pitch. Since Al-Ettifaq's 1987 title, only 2 clubs person surgery nan stranglehold of nan large 4 - Al-Fateh and Al-Shabab, who vanished seventh and eighth past season.

Al-Taawoun really took fourth, but will beryllium hard-pressed to repetition that feat. Steven Gerrard led Al-Ettifaq to sixth and has since brought successful goalkeeper Merek Rodak from Fulham.

Much attraction will beryllium connected Al-Qadsiah, promoted past season. The squad from nan eastbound metropolis of Al-Khobar were taken complete by Aramco, nan country's state-owned lipid institution - 1 of nan richest successful nan world successful position of revenue.

Robbie Fowler was fired contempt 8 unbeaten games astatine nan commencement of nan season, and his successor Michel led nan squad to nan apical tier.

In bid to compete, nan nine person been busy. In onslaught Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has travel successful from Marseille, and he is joined by Spanish centre-back Nacho who signed from Real Madrid.

There is simply a beardown Spanish-speaking contingent pinch Mexican world Julian Quinones, Andre Carrillo from Peru, Uruguay's Nahitan Nandez and Argentina Under-23s midfielder Ezequiel Fernandez.