Competing with European clubs for top prospects is partly a business decision, partly an attempt to change perceptions
It was striking that in a month when Neymar left Saudi Arabia after costing Al-Hilal hundreds of millions of pounds and playing only seven games in return, the Saudi Pro League’s clubs turned more and more to youth. The transfer window closed on Friday with a couple of big deals but there was activity before; it just happened to be quieter and less headline-grabbing.
January intensified a change of focus that has been taking place since the summer of 2023 when a whole host of megastars headed to the Middle East. As well as Neymar there was Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and a flurry of other 30-somethings who made the move to follow the granddaddy of them all, a certain player who turned 40 on Wednesday.
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