The Saudi Pro League has changed immeasurably over the past few months, and even clubs such as Man United and Tottenham aren’t safe from their clutches.
Indeed, any team in the top five European leagues would appear to be fair game at present given just how much money the Saudi’s appear to be able to offer players to join the Pro League.
There’s be something of a ‘gold rush’ effect and that’s unlikely to stop over the next few windows either.
We might even be looking at a scenario in the not too distant future where players do seriously consider the option of a move to the Middle East rather than the English top-flight.
Two players that are considering making the switch are former Man United custodian, David de Gea, and Spurs stopper, Hugo Lloris.
‘Since leaving Manchester United at the end of last season, David De Gea, now a free agent, is assessing his options ahead of the new 2023-24 season,’ Fabrizio Romano wrote in his exclusive CaughtOffside Substack.
‘The Spanish goalkeeper has some options, including from clubs in Saudi Arabia. He spoke to Al Nassr around three weeks ago.
‘Elsewhere, Hugo Lloris, also a free agent after leaving Spurs, is another option for the Saudi Pro League. We will have to see if the French keeper resumes talks with Saudi clubs after he rejected Lazio, not because of money, but because he did not want to be a backup option – he wants assurances over his playing time.’
De Gea is 32 whilst Lloris is four years older at 36, and one could argue that any such move could be the last big one of their careers.
Given the sort of salaries that would appear to be available, one would have to pose the question to the pair of keepers as to what possible reason is there for either to turn such a move, were it offered, down.
With less than two weeks of the current window left, they’ll need to make up their minds quickly.