Saudi Pro League: Decoding the top five transfers this summer
Several top footballers from all across the world have joined the Saudi Pro League over the past year. It all started with Cristiano Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr. This summer Karim Benzema's move to Al-Ittihad also encouraged more players to move to Saudi Arabia. Later, Neymar joined Al-Hilal, attracting more eyeballs. Overall, the clubs have signed some quality foreigners. Here are the best transfers this summer.
N'Golo Kante, Al-Ittihad
After winning everything with Chelsea, N'Golo Kante joined Al-Ittihad. He has joined forces with Karim Benzema in the team. Kante will be the fulcrum for Al-Ittihad in midfield as he will be playing alongside former Liverpool star Fabinho. Before moving to Saudi, the 32-year-old featured in 269 matches for Chelsea, scoring 13 times across eight seasons. Kante will be a crucial player for Al-Ittihad.
Ruben Neves, Al-Hilal
Considered one of the best holding midfielders in Europe, Ruben Neves's move to the Saudi Pro League was rather shocking. The Portuguese midfielder was wanted by many top European clubs but he decided to join Al-Hilal. The former Wolves midfielder brings great technical ability and calmness to the midfield. Partnered by former Lazio sensation Sergej Milinko-Savic, Neves is tactically aware and an astute passer.
Aymeric Laporte, Al-Nassr
Aymeric Laporte grew out of favor at Manchester City and therefore he moved to Al-Nassr. The Spanish center-back, who won the treble last season under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola will be the main man in defence for Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr. As per BBC, the 29-year-old Spain international joined Al-Nassr for £23.6m. Laporte had fallen out of favor at City as Guardiola shifted his focus.
Neymar, Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal recorded the most expensive transfer in the Saudi Pro League when they signed Neymar from PSG for €90m plus add-ons. Neymar represented PSG in 173 matches since 2017 and netted 118 goals. He is still in pretty good form to lead the lines for Al-Hilal. The 30-year-old is expected to attract more eyeballs to the SPL and bring glory to Jorge Jesus's men.
Karim Benzema, Al-Ittihad
The biggest transfer of the summer was when Benzema left Real Madrid to join Al-Ittihad on a free transfer. The reigning Ballon d'Or winner brought an end to his 14-year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu. Benzema is the second-highest scorer for Real Madrid with 354 goals in 648 games. He is the fourth-highest scorer in La Liga with 238 goals from 439 appearances.
