Saudi Pro League: Top 5 young talents who moved to Saudi for money

Cristiano Ronaldo's move to the Al Nassr Club in the Saudi Pro League of Saudi Arabia opened the door for the exodus of veteran footballers who are at the oblivion of their careers. Likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar Jr., Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino have set foot on Arabian soil with lucrative amounts of monetary contracts. 

However, a wave of young and promising talents from Europe and other continents has begun to move to the Saudi Pro League with massive contracts on the table for them. This notion has brought many promising youngsters to play in different Saudi clubs; some of them got their break in recent times. 

Rise of Saudi Pro League 

The European football circuit has always been the preferred destination for young footballers who are starting their careers and they aim to play in different clubs in Europe. On the contrary, many footballers who succeeded in Europe have mostly moved to the USA's Major League Soccer or China's Chinese Super League at the ending spell of their career. 

However, the Saudi Pro League's meteoric rise after the FIFA World Cup 2022 has taken the football transfer window by storm and big players in the market are splashing the cash to sign someone who is already a big name or any footballer who is in his prime or most importantly, some fresh talents who will be nurtured in the growing league in Saudi and its footballing culture. 

According to a recent scoop published by Reuters on 11th July 2024:

"The Saudi Pro League is encouraging its clubs to foster homegrown talent and switch focus to wooing promising young internationals after making headlines for big-name signings for huge money, a document outlining plans for the new season said."

But the same question has arisen from time to time with criticisms from the elite footballing circuit in Europe and the other parts of the world where the footballing culture is already enriched. The concern is if the league and the clubs are as ambitious as they seem to bring players to Saudi.

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Transfers and Criticisms

Here are some players who moved to Saudi Arabia at a very young age that subsequently winded up significant criticism.

1. Gabri Veiga | Celta Vigo to Al-Ahli SC 

Spanish midfielder Gabriel Veiga's transfer to Al-Ahli SC in the Saudi Pro League at the age of 21 came as a surprise to the entire world. Gabri Veiga was promoted to the Celta Vigo senior team in 2022 and in the 2022-23 LaLiga season, he emerged as a very promising talent with 11 goals and 4 assists in 36 matches. 

Despite being closely linked to the Italian side Napoli and PL Champions Manchester City, Veiga decided to continue his career in the Saudi Pro League with Celta and Al-Ahli agreeing on a 30 Million Euros transfer fee in 2023. Real Madrid legend and German midfielder Toni Kroos publicly criticized this move with a comment, "embarrassing".

🚨🚨| Toni Kroos under Fabrizio Romano’s Gabri Veiga to Al-Ahli post. 😯 pic.twitter.com/cJEt6IVJ6J

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) August 24, 2023

Kroos put his opinion as he said that there is nothing about ambitions but only money in these moves to Saudi. He later explained and expressed his concern about young talents moving to Saudi.

"Everyone has to make that decision for themselves, like Cristiano Ronaldo, who decided to do it towards the end of his career. But it becomes very difficult when players, who are in the middle of their career and have the quality to play for the best clubs in Europe, decide to make those changes.”

(Via Sports Illustrated)

Veiga did not hold back as well after Kroos commented on this topic as he said that many top players are happy in Saudi and that he also did not scrap the idea of his possible return to Europe.

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2. Roger Ibanez | AS Roma to Al-Ahli SC

The 25-year-old Brazilian defender Roger Ibanez was one of the key players for AS Roma for more than 3 years and he has won the Europa League with Roma in the 2021-22 season. He also featured for Atalanta in the Serie A. 

Ibanez was selected by Tite for the provisional squad before the 2022 World Cup and played one friendly against Ghana. However, He could not make it to the Brazil squad that took the flight to Qatar. 

In August 2023, Ibanez joined the Saudi side Al-Ahli SC for 28.5 Million Euros fee on a 4-year contract. He was shortlisted by Premier League Club Nottingham Forest and they were also bidding for Ibanez, but he chose Al-Ahli. Later this transfer, He was called up by the new Brazil head coach Dorival Junior for some friendlies but he was again excluded from the Brazil squad that travelled to the USA for the Copa America 2024. 

Pundits have speculated that it would be hard for Ibanez to make it in Brazil's core squad while playing in Saudi. He moved to Saudi at such a young age that it surely affected his national career and he is overlooked not only because he is not playing in Europe but also because he is not even playing in his own country.

That is why even after showcasing a consistent display for Roma before, he is not considered for the national team scenario as of now, whereas Guilherme Arana made it to the Copa 2024 squad, and plays as a defender for a Brazilian club, Atletico Mineiro.

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3. Steven Bergwijn | Ajax to Al-Ittihad Club

The most recent transfer of a player to a Saudi Club that sparked controversy was Steven Bergwijn's move to Al-Ittihad Club from Ajax. The 26-year-old Dutch forward moved to the Saudi Club in September 2024 after two 2-year stints in top-flight football respectively at Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax Amsterdam. 

He was criticized by the Netherlands national team manager Ronald Koeman for moving to Saudi at the age of 26. Koeman stated:

"The book is basically closed to him. He knows what I think about this... When you are 26, your main ambition should be sporting, not financial. These are choices that players make. ...I have never been in that situation, because I could go to Barcelona. He could have stayed at Ajax, that’s not bad, is it? You have to respect that choice, but personally I wouldn’t [have moved]."

(Via The Guardian)

Koeman assured that as long as he is in charge Bergwijn will not play for the national team. Considering it was Koeman himself who gave Bergwijn his breakthrough in the national team in 2018, it is safe to say that there is a sound process that excludes Bergwijn from the national team. 

🇳🇱 Bergwijn in response to the statements of the Dutch national team manager Ronald Koeman:

“They need to come see first and then speak.”#AlIttihad 🟡⚫️ pic.twitter.com/8JcOjRutkn

— All About SPL 🔔 🇸🇦 (@Saudifutbol) September 15, 2024

However, Bergwijn replied to this criticism in an interview with De Telegraaf where he stated:

"I don't even want to play under Koeman anymore, If he had been a committed national coach, he would have called me first. Now I had to hear about it on TV. I've had many beautiful moments with him, so this is far too easy and I'm disappointed with him.

"I have always considered it an honour to play for Oranje. But under this national coach, I no longer want to do that. With someone who deliberately portrays me like that in the media, I am done. But who knows if there will be a new national coach in the future.

"I myself will never close the door. And I will only support my teammates at Oranje, just as they do with me. I have only received good messages from the internationals after my transfer. Everyone is happy for me. That is how it can be."

(Via ESPN)

4. Joao Costa | AS Roma to Al-Ettifaq FC 

This is a transfer where not the player but the parent club was heavily criticized for letting a 19-year-old kid end up in Saudi. Joao Costa is a Brazil-born Portuguese who earned his place in the Corinthians U-20 team in Brazil at the age of 14. In 2021, He signed for AS Roma, and Roma welcomed him for the U-17 team. This shows how talented this left-footed winger is.

In September 2023, the legendary Jose Mourinho called up this young talent for a Serie A game against Frosinone but he could not get a solid breakthrough into the senior team. Finally in September 2024, AS Roma decided to sell him to Saudi side Al-Ettifaq FC. 

19 year old Joao Costa 🇵🇹 scored this fantastic goal to give Al Ettifaq the lead against Al Fateh. pic.twitter.com/b8buzejQGU

— Al Nassr Zone (@TheNassrZone) September 14, 2024

It was rumored that Costa himself was eyeing a possible move to a Portuguese or Brazilian club but Roma refused and sent him to Saudi. Roma was criticized for not sending him on loan but they made a permanent move instead which narrowed this youngster's chance to get back in the top-flight in Europe or elsewhere.

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5. Ezequiel Fernández | Boca Juniors to Al Qadsiah FC

This 22-year-old young Argentine's move to the Saudi Club Al Qadsiah was a strong message from the Saudi League officials along with the club to the footballing circuit reigning all over the world that they are not only considering the European talents or players who were nurtured in the European system.

The league intended that now they are eyeing fresh talents from all over the world and bringing them to Saudi to simultaneously upgrade and grow grassroots-level footballers who will later join any other club after an agreement with a hefty amount of money. 

🚨🇸🇦 Equi Fernández to Al Qadsiah, here we go! Saudi club confirmed with formal documents they’re set to trigger $20m release clause.

Five year deal for 22 year old talented midfielder who’s leaving Boca Juniors.

Equi, set to join Nacho and Aubameyang at Al Qadsiah in Saudi. 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/VkdTflrhNe

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 4, 2024

Midfielder Ezequiel 'Equi' Fernandez was called up by coach Javier Mascherano for the Argentina squad that traveled to Paris for the 2024 Olympics. Javier Mascherano is the Argentina U-23 coach as well and it was Mascherano who gave Ezequiel his breakthrough in the U-23 team in 2023.

It came as a total shock in August 2024 when his move to the Saudi side was finalized. Al Qadsiah welcomed him from Argentine top-division club Boca Juniors where he had 67 appearances.