Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr have acquired the signing of Jhon Duran, the 21-year-old Colombian striker from Aston Villa. 

Duran, who has scored 10 goals for Aston Villa across the Premier League and UCL this season, has signed a gigantic five-year contract with the Cristiano Ronaldo-led club. 

The Colombian youngster is the latest inclusion to follow the footsteps of former Premier League footballers who left the top division of English football to explore new opportunities in Saudi Arabia. 

In this article, Sportz Point assesses every Premier League player who went to play for various Saudi Pro League clubs.

1. N'Golo Kante - Chelsea to Al-Ittihad (2023)

N'Golo Kante is the foremost renowned footballer who left the Premier League to join the Saudi Pro League, bringing a revolution in the business for Saudi Pro League clubs. 

The French World Cup winner and always a fan-favourite, left Chelsea in July 2023 to join Al-Ittihad on a free transfer. Kante received a 3-year contract at the Saudi club, where he reportedly earns a whopping €100 million per year. 

The 33-year-old midfielder is currently playing for Al-Ittihad, and his contract runs until June 2026.

Read Also | N'Golo Kante has left the Premier League : End of an Era

2. Kalidou Koulibaly - Chelsea to Al-Hilal (2023)

In July 2023, Kalidou Koulibaly signed for the current Saudi Champions Al-Hilal for an undisclosed fee, reportedly worth €23 million. The Senegal international spent only one year in Chelsea, where he joined in 2022 from the Italian side Napoli. 

The 33-year-old defender is currently donning the Al-Hilal shirt, where he is on a contract until June 2026.

3. Edouard Mendy - Chelsea to Al-Ahli (2023)

Edouard Mendy will always be a legend for Chelsea fans for his towering performance as the goalkeeper in Chelsea's UCL-winning campaign in 2020-21.

However, in a shocking move in July 2023, the Senegal international joined Al-Ahli for a reported fee of €19 million. The 32-year-old goalkeeper is on a three-year contract with Al-Ahli, expiring in June 2026.

4. Demarai Gray - Everton to Al-Ettifaq (2023)

Demarai Gray signed for Al-Ettifaq on the deadline day of the transfer window in Saudi Arabia, on September 7th, 2023. 

The former Everton man also played for Leicester City and Bayer Leverkusen before his two-year stint at Everton. 

However, the Jamaican international penned down a four-year contract with the Saudi outfit, keeping him at the club until June of 2027. 

5. Aleksandar Mitrovic - Fulham to Al-Hilal (2023)

Aleksandar Mitrovic has proved himself as arguably the best overseas signing the Saudi Pro League has made since the door opened in 2023. The Serbian forward signed for Al-Hilal in August 2023. He left Fulham, where he had a dream season in 2022-23, scoring 14 goals in just 24 PL appearances. 

However, Al-Hilal paid a reported fee of €52 million to sign Mitrovic from Fulham. Since arriving in Saudi, the 30-year-old striker has netted 60 goals and provided 11 assists in 67 appearances for Al-Hilal, leading the club to the Saudi Arabian League title in 2023-24 and various other accolades. 

6. Ezgjan Alioski - Leeds to Al-Ahli (2021)

Although Kante is the PL footballer who had drawn significant attention from Saudi Clubs, it was Ezgjan Alioski who first joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in 2021, leaving Leeds United on a free transfer.

However, the Macedonian left-back was loaned to Fenerbahce only after a year, and he spent a one-year loan stint at the Turkish side before permanently returning to Al-Ahli in June 2023. Alioski is in the last year of his contract, as the agreement expires in June 2025. 

7. Fabinho - Liverpool to Al-Ittihad (2023)

Fabinho joined Al-Ittihad in July 2023 for a transfer fee of almost €47 million, leaving his former club Liverpool.

The former Liverpool captain spent a long 5-year spell at Liverpool, winning almost everything with the Merseyside club. The Brazilian defensive midfielder is currently on a three-year contract with Al-Ittihad, binding him to the club until June 2026.

8. Roberto Firmino - Liverpool to Al-Ahli (2023)

Roberto Firmino, another cult hero of Liverpool, left the club in July 2023 to sign for Al-Ahli Saudi on a free transfer after his contract expired at the end of the 2022-23 season. 

Firmino played for Liverpool from 2015 to 2023, making him a legend for the Premier League club, where he won almost everything, scoring 111 goals in 362 games. 

The 33-year-old Brazilian is on a three-year deal with the Saudi club, expiring on June 2026.

9. Jordan Henderson - Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq (2023)

The case of Jordan Henderson is a unique instance, as he spent only 6 months in Saudi. The former Liverpool skipper moved to Al-Ettifaq after a €14 million transfer in July 2023, penning a three-year deal with the Saudi side. 

However, things did not go well with the England international as he failed to adjust to the Saudi Arabian climate and also had family reasons. Henderson left Al-Ettifaq in January 2024 as he returned to Europe to play for Ajax Amsterdam. 

Henderson currently captains the Dutch side, where his contract runs until June 2026.

10. Aymeric Laporte - Man City to Al-Nassr (2023)

Aymeric Laporte left Manchester City to join Al-Nassr in July 2023 after the Saudi side paid almost €28 million in transfer fees. 

The dynamic Spanish center-back was handed a three-year contract with the Saudi club, which runs until June 2026. Although he has not moved to any other club, he has recently been linked to a move to the Spanish giants, Real Madrid.

11. Riyad Mahrez - Man City to Al-Ahli (2023)

Riyad Mahrez has always been a silent cornerstone for Manchester City's success in recent years under Pep Guardiola. Mahrez also played a significant part in the iconic Premier League-winning campaign of Leicester City in 2016.

However, the Algerian left City in July 2023 on a €35 million transfer to join Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. The 33-year-old winger was handed a four-year contract that runs until June 2027.

12. Alex Telles - Man United to Al-Nassr (2023)

Alex Telles joined his national teammate Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr after joining the Saudi side on a €4.6 million transfer. Telles left Manchester United to start anew in the Middle East.

However, his stint at Al-Nassr was full of obstacles, as only after a year, the Portuguese full-back terminated his contract by mutual agreement and joined the Brazilian side Botafogo on a free transfer in September 2024.

13. Allan Saint-Maximin - Newcastle to Al-Ahli (2023)

Allan Saint-Maximin emerged as one of the best forwards in the Premier League, before making a shocking move to Al-Ahli from Newcastle United for a transfer fee worth almost €28 million.

However, Maximin is now playing for Fenerbahce after being loaned out in July 2024, although he has a contract with Al-Ahli until June 2026.

14. Ruben Neves - Wolves to Al-Hilal (2023)

Ruben Neves etched his name in the history of Wolverhampton Wanderers; playing for the English side for almost seven years.

The Portuguese defensive midfielder left his beloved Wolves to join Al-Hilal in July 2023 on a huge €55 million transfer. Neves is contracted with Al-Hilal until June 2026.

15. Moussa Diaby - Aston Villa to Al-Ittihad (2024)

Moussa Diaby proved himself as one of the best emerging talents in world football but he unexpectedly signed for Al-Ittihad in July 2024, leaving Aston Villa on a huge €60 million transfer.

The 25-year-old French midfielder also played for renowned European clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and a significant four-year spell at Bayer Leverkusen. 

16. Ivan Toney - Brentford to Al-Ahli (2024)

Ivan Toney entered the England national team following his masterful performance with Brentford in the Premier League. However, he left the English side in August 2024, as Al-ahli paid a transfer fee of €42 million for the English forward.

The 28-year-old forward is currently playing for Al-Ahli where he is on a mega contract that runs until June 2028.

17. Johann Berg Gudmundsson - Burnley to Al-Orobah (2024)

Johann Berg Gudmundsson played an integral part in Burnley's promotion to the Premier League for the 2023-24 season. However, the Iceland international moved to Al-Orobah in August 2024 for an undisclosed fee. 

The 34-year-old winger is in the last year of his contract with Al-Orobah as it ends in June 2025.

18. Marek Rodak - Fulham to Al-Ettifaq (2024)

Marek Rodak, the Slovak international, left Fulham to join Al-Ettifaq on a free transfer in August 2024.

The 28-year-old goalkeeper is on a contract until June 2027.

19. Joao Cancelo - Man City to Al-Hilal (2024)

Joao Cancelo spent a tumultuous year in 2023, as he spent two different loan spells in Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona. However, Barcelona failed to trigger his release clause in August 2024 as Manchester City sold the Portuguese international to Al-Hilal on a modest €25 million transfer.

The 30-year-old fullback signed a three-year contract that runs until June 2027.

20. Kurt Zouma - West Ham to Al-Orobah (2024)

Kurt Zouma left West Ham United in August 2024 after spending almost three years at the English side, as he was loaned to Al-Orobah for a year. The French defender's loan ends in June 2025. 

21. Jhon Duran - Aston Villa to Al-Nassr (2025)

Jhon Duran is the latest Premier League footballer to leave top-tier English football to join Saudi Pro League. 

Al-Nassr has signed the Colombian youngster from Aston Villa for a huge €77 transfer fee including the add-ons. The 21-year-old striker, who signed a mega five-year contract, will stay at Al-Nassr until June 2030.

Eddie Howe has become the first English manager to lift a major trophy in men's football since the year 2008.

The 47-year-old manager has paved Newcastle United’s way to a major domestic trophy, as the Magpies salvaged a deserved 2-1 victory against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup Final last night.

𝐂.𝐇.𝐀.𝐌.𝐏.𝐈.𝐎.𝐍.𝐒 🏆

Newcastle United lift a domestic title for the first time in 70 years!

They beat Liverpool FC to clinch the Carabao Cup 2024-25!

Congrats, Newcastle United!#NewcastleUnited #CarabaoCupFinal #CarabaoCup #LiverpoolFC pic.twitter.com/RUfDu2zNhj

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 16, 2025

The Newcastle United manager has touched the silverware to be only the first English manager to lift a major trophy in Men’s football since Harry Redknapp led Portsmouth to win the FA Cup in 2008.

Eddie Howe is the first Englishman to win a major domestic trophy in England since Harry Redknapp won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008. pic.twitter.com/wTJLF6fykH

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 16, 2025

After 17 years, the drought has finally been broken by Eddie, who expressed that he will “certainly won’t” forget this, stating the fact that Newcastle has won a major domestic trophy in 70 years.

With such a long wait for a trophy, this will be a day that I’m sure everyone will never forget,

In this article, we discuss the last English managers to lift each of the major honours available in men’s football, before Eddie Howe lifted the Carabao Cup last night.

Harry Redknapp – FA Cup

Harry Redknapp was the last English manager to win one of the major domestic men's football titles when he led Portsmouth to FA Cup victory in 2008.

The team's triumph was secured by Nigeria striker Nwankwo Kanu, who scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against Cardiff City in the Final. 

🎥 "It was full of good players, that team, and it was a fantastic time" 🏆

🔟 years on from #Pompey's FA Cup win in 2008, manager that day Harry Redknapp recalls the Blues' fairytale run to the final, which culminated in a 1-0 win over Cardiff at Wembley Stadium ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8rJ0ZW58ha

— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) May 17, 2018

Steve McClaren – League Cup

Steve McClaren led Middlesbrough to the first major trophy in the club’s history when they defeated Bolton Wanderers to win the 2004 EFL Cup, which was known as the Carling Cup at the time.

Joseph-Desire Job scored an early goal, and Bolo Zenden converted a penalty, putting Middlesbrough ahead 2-0 within the first seven minutes at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Although Kevin Davies managed to pull one back for the Sam Allardyce-coached Bolton side, the Teessiders held on to secure the victory.

Middlesbrough players celebrate with manager Steve McClaren after their victory over Bolton Wanderers in the Carling Cup Final match between Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough at The Millennium Stadium (2004) pic.twitter.com/Q44rCDLUyd

— Great British Getty Images (@shitbritishpics) February 25, 2024

Howard Wilkinson – First Division

No English manager has won the Premier League title; however, Scottish manager Sir Alex Ferguson achieved this remarkable feat 13 times. The last English manager to lead a championship-winning team was Howard Wilkinson, who did so in the final season of the old First Division. 

Wilkinson’s Leeds United secured the title by defeating Sheffield United 3-2 on the penultimate weekend of the 1991-92 season. Meanwhile, Manchester United, managed by Ferguson at that time, lost 2-0 to Liverpool. Ultimately, Leeds topped the table, finishing four points ahead of Manchester United.

#ManagerMonday Howard Wilkinson

To coincide with the release of 1992 - The Birth of Modern Football by @rob_fletcher_

'Sgt Wilko' won the last 1st Division Championship with Leeds United in 1992 and is still the last Englishman to win the top flight league title in England pic.twitter.com/XLZVVL6YjC

— 80s&90sFootball ⚽ (@80s90sfootball) March 27, 2023

Sir Bobby Robson – Cup Winners’ Cup

Although domestic success has been limited for English managers, achieving glory in European competitions has been even more challenging.

The last major European triumph for an Englishman came under the guidance of the legendary Sir Bobby Robson, who led FC Barcelona to victory in the UEFA European Cup Winners' Cup in 1997. Ronaldo secured the win with a penalty, resulting in a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Sir Bobby Robson, Ronaldo and José Mourinho after winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1997. pic.twitter.com/XMGY24l9ff

— 90s Football (@90sfootball) March 9, 2023

Joe Fagan – European Cup

Although no manager has yet won the Champions League, Joe Fagan is the most recent winner of the tournament's predecessor, the European Cup in 1984.

Fagan succeeded Bob Paisley as the manager of Liverpool during the summer of 1983. He watched from the sidelines as Alan Kennedy scored the decisive penalty in a shootout victory against AS Roma in the Italian capital, marking Liverpool's fourth triumph in the European Cup in seven years.

#OnThisDay 4️⃣0️⃣ years ago...

Fagan's Reds beat Roma in their own backyard to confirm European Cup number 4 🏆🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/nRTCh3yAdg

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 30, 2024

Keith Burkinshaw – UEFA Cup

Manager Keith Burkinshaw secured the UEFA Cup, the predecessor of the Europa League, with Tottenham in the 1984 season.

Tottenham had drawn 1-1 against Anderlecht in the first leg in Brussels. In the return leg, captain Graham Roberts scored a late equalizer to end the match 2-2 after extra time.

The Spurs went on to win the trophy by securing a 4-3 victory in the shootout, as Goalkeeper Tony Parks saved a penalty from Anderlecht's Arnor Gudjohnsen.

PARKS SAVES! We’ve won the 1984 UEFA Cup! #TheLaneTheFinale
✅✅✅✅❌
❌✅✅✅❌ pic.twitter.com/acn3Acxmzk

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 11, 2017

Newcastle United has won their first domestic silverware in 70 years after beating Liverpool 2-1 in the EFL Cup final at the Wembley Stadium. Newcastle United arrived at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final determined to end football's longest-ever trophy droughts, with no success in any competition since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fair Cup triumph.

From the start of the game, Eddie Howe's managed side was superior to Liverpool. The deadlock was broken just before half-time by Dan Burn. Liverpool was beyond poor in the first half. Alexander Isak doubled Newcastle's lead after a minute before his goal ruled out. 

Federico Chiesa scored a consolation goal in the dying minutes. But Newcastle's defense held on to secure an emotional victory. Here are the 10 records created by Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup 2025 triumph.

GOOD MORNING! 😍 pic.twitter.com/pCqxLC3Sfl

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) March 17, 2025

10 records created by Newcastle United:

WE ARE NEWCASTLE UNITED

CARABAO CUP WINNERS#wedontdoquiet pic.twitter.com/83eJqEr3gb

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) March 16, 2025

Record 1:

Newcastle United's starting XI contained five different players aged 30 or older, with the average age of the side 29 years 13 days, the oldest by a side in a cup final since Manchester City in 2018.

Record 2:

Dan Burn became the first Newcastle player to score a goal in a major domestic League Cup final since Alana Gowling netted against Manchester City in the 1976 League Cup final.

Record 3:

Dan Burn (32years) is the third oldest Englishmen to score in a League Cup final, after Stoke City's Geroge Eastham in 1972 (35years) and John Terry for Chelsea in 2015 (34years)

Record 4:

Dan Burn was also the first Newcastle Player to score a competitive goal at Wembley Stadium since Rob Lee in April 2000.

Record 5:

Liverpool did not attempt a single touch of the ball in the Newcastle box or a shot in the League Cup final until three minutes into the first half added time.

Record 6:

Jacob Murphy has assisted Alexander Isak eight times for Newcastle this season; the most by any Premier League player for teammates across all competitions.

Record 7:

They have become the 24th different winners of the Carabao Cup since the tournament's inception in 1960.

Record 8:

Newcastle United has won their first piece of domestic silverware since 1955. It will be a night to remember.

Record 9:

Alexander Isak celebrated his 100th Newcastle appearance with the 58th goal for the club. Without any question, the goal was the decider.

Record 10:

Newcastle United has secured European football next season, as they secured UEFA Conference League by winning the Carabao Cup.

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Premier League football. Tonight, we will bring you all the live updates, scores, news, and free commentary of the matchup between Leicester City and Manchester United at King Power Stadium in Leicester.

Leicester City will be at home, but that will not be enough to keep them confident. They have already fallen prey to Manchester United three times this season across all competitions. The Foxes are in the relegation zone as they have only been able to win four games in 28 league matches this season.

On the other hand, Manchester United will be confident enough as they are coming in after a dominating win in their UEFA Europa League fixture over Real Sociedad. Their first-half performance was not very good, but they came well-prepared in the second half and ran riot over their opponents. The Red Devils are in the 14th spot having won nine games in the same number of matches. The Red Devils will look forward to carrying their momentum going ahead.

So, sit back and relax as Swastik Debnath brings you the buildup, news, images, live scores, news, and updates of the match Leicester City vs Manchester United from our webdesk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scorelines.

Carabao Cup, formerly known as the EFL Cup, is a 92-team knock-out tournament organised by the English Football League (EFL). Teams from Premier League, and three divisions of the English Football League compete in this tournament.

Although the prize value of the EFL Cup is not that significant compared to tournaments like FA Cup and other, EFL Cup has had it's reputation among football fans since 1961. Here are all the previous winners of the Carabao Cup since the beginning.

Who were the first-ever winners of the Carabao Cup?

Aston Villa were the first-ever champions of the Carabao Cup or the EFL Cup in 1961. They defeated Rotherham United by a 3-2 aggregate after a two-leged final after being down by 0-2 in the first leg. Alan O'Neill, Harry Burrows and Peter McParland were the scorers for Aston Villa.

For the first six seasons, the EFL Cup finals were played in two legs.

Who are the current winners of the Carabao Cup?

Newcastle United defeated defending champions Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium to win their maiden EFL Cup or Carabao Cup title. They defeated Liverpool by 2-1 to clinch their first-ever domestic title since 1955 FA Cup triumph.

Alexander Isak and Dan Burn scored the goals for them.

𝐂.𝐇.𝐀.𝐌.𝐏.𝐈.𝐎.𝐍.𝐒 🏆

Newcastle United lift a domestic title for the first time in 70 years!

They beat Liverpool FC to clinch the Carabao Cup 2024-25!

Congrats, Newcastle United!#NewcastleUnited #CarabaoCupFinal #CarabaoCup #LiverpoolFC pic.twitter.com/RUfDu2zNhj

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 16, 2025

Also Read: Most Goals in the Premier League for a single club

Which is the most successful team in Carabao Cup history?

Liverpool with 10 EFL trophies, are the most successful team in Carabao Cup history. They won the trophy in 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1994-95, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2011-12, 2021-22, and 2023-24 seasons.

Most successful teams in Carabao Cup/ EFL Cup history

Most Carabao Cup wins as a player

Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho are the most successful players with three Carabao Cup titles in 2014, 2016, 2018-2021 with Manchester City.

All the past winners of the Carabao Cup/ EFL Cup since 1961

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Premier League football. This evening, we will bring you all the live updates, scores, news, and free commentary of the high-intense Arsenal vs Chelsea Premier League 2024-25 fixture set to be played at the Emirates Stadium in London.

Arsenal are currently placed second on the table, having earned 55 points in 28 matches. On the other hand, Chelsea are now standing in the fourth position with 49 points in 28 games.

Both teams are having a good season so far, but the result of this match will either benefit or put pressure on other teams competing in the top-four race. So sit back and enjoy the game as we bring you all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, and match commentary tonight.

This is Soumit Bhattacharya, who will bring you all the updates of the match from the web desk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.