Twelve stars now signed to Saudi Arabian teams
Cristiano Ronaldo – Al-Nassr. After his acrimonious departure from Manchester United, five-time Ballon D’Or winner Ronaldo headed to Saudi Arabia.
Karim Benzema – Al-Ittihad. Reigning Ballon D’Or winner Benzema left Real Madrid after his contract expired, having won five Champions League titles during his time there.
Jordan Henderson – Al-Ettifaq. The former Liverpool captain has signed a three-year deal, leaving Anfield after 12 years to link back up with former team-mate Steven Gerrard, who is now the Saudi club’s manager.
Riyad Mahrez – Al-Ahli. Mahrez is the latest high-profile Saudi recruit after Manchester City agreed a deal worth up to £30m for the Algeria winger, who had two years remaining on his contract.
N’Golo Kante – Al-Ittihad. Kante headed for the Gulf on a free transfer as he opted to leave Chelsea at the end of his deal.
Kalidou Koulibaly – Al Hilal. After a single season at Stamford Bridge, Senegal centre-back Koulibaly left Chelsea for a fee in the region of £20m.
Ruben Neves – Al-Hilal. Portugal international Neves helped Wolves to win promotion from the Championship before enjoying five Premier League campaigns at Molineux, establishing himself as one of the best-regarded midfielders in the division.
Edouard Mendy – Al-Ahli. Mendy lost his place as first-choice goalkeeper at Chelsea after arriving at the club in 2020. He made just 10 Premier League appearances last season.
Marcelo Brozovic – Al-Nassr. Brozovic left Inter Milan after captaining the Serie A side in their Champions League final loss to Manchester City. The 30-year-old Croatia midfielder heads to Saudi Arabia after eight seasons and five major trophies in Italy.
Roberto Firmino – Al-Ahli. The highest-scoring Brazilian in Premier League history, Firmino was a firm favourite among Liverpool supporters after eight years at Anfield.
Jota – Al-Ittihad. After scoring 15 goals to help Celtic win a domestic treble, former Portugal youth international Jota made a £25m move at the start of July.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – Al-Hilal. Lazio’s player of the season in 2020-21 and 2021-22, Milinkovic-Savic will be turning out in the Saudi Pro League after a reported £34.3m transfer.
