A list of “more than 10” football stars has been drawn up for recruitment by Saudi Arabian league clubs, with Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema headlining, a source told AFP on Monday. close to negotiations.
Luka Modric, Hugo Lloris, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, N’Golo Kanté, Angel Di Maria and Roberto Firmino are among the targets mentioned to join the Saudi Pro League, according to the same source.
In total, the Saudi authorities are “in contact with more than 10 players, many of whom have won the World Cup or the Champions League, to join the Saudi league next season”, she said. “In addition to receiving fairly lucrative offers”, they would play “in a very competitive league”, argued this source, adding that the objective was to “conclude most of the agreements” before the start of the next season, on 11 august.
A Saudi government official also told AFP that the authorities were conducting negotiations with “world-class players”. “The goal is to build a very strong and competitive league and raise the level of Saudi clubs,” he said. When it comes to Messi and Benzema, Saudi officials are in Paris and Madrid trying to strike deals, according to multiple sources and media reports.
To date, the biggest blow achieved by Saudi Arabia is the recruitment of Cristiano Ronaldo by the Al Nassr club at the end of December. The Portuguese is reportedly currently earning the highest salary in the history of the sport, around €200m per season, according to unconfirmed reports.
An equivalent amount was quoted in the Spanish press for Benzema, in negotiations with Al-Ittihad. In the case of Messi, sevenfold Ballon d’Or approached by Al-Hilal, even higher sums are mentioned. All of the targeted players are major stars nearing the end of their careers. With the exception of Lloris, who has one year left on his contract with Tottenham, all are out of contract.
Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, de facto ruler of the kingdom, is trying to improve its image linked to a rigorous Islam and to attract tourists and investments, partly through sport. The biggest oil exporter in the world, which wants to diversify its economy, has spent hundreds of millions on sports contracts, for the signing of Ronaldo but also the organization of a Formula 1 Grand Prix or the launch of the circuit dissenting golf course LIV. All these initiatives have earned Saudi Arabia the accusation of wanting to “whitewash through sport” its human rights record.
