None of the European leagues, or world leagues for that matter, are safe from the rise of the Saudi Pro League, and that means that players at all clubs, including Man United amongst others, will be targeted.
Although the SPL is rated as only the 66th best on the planet at present, per TeamForm, that is likely to soon change as more and more high-profile stars move to the UAE to continue their careers.
At present, aside from one or two exceptions, only those players that are coming towards the back end of their careers have been targeted. Big names nonetheless, but the league has struggled to acquire players in their prime.
As the league continues to grow, there’s a strong likelihood that bigger stars will join, and in five years from now, there’s no telling how big the league will have become and whether it could be considered a genuine threat to the Premier League and others.
One player that’s been consistently linked with a switch to Saudi is Man United midfielder, Casemiro. However, it doesn’t appear that he’ll be moving there anytime soon.
Speaking to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing column, Fabrizio Romano said:
“Currently I’m told it’s still quiet with regards to Saudi Pro League clubs and Casemiro.
“No concrete proposals or negotiations are taking place. We’ll have to see what happens in the summer, but it depends on a lot of factors including Saudi plans, Man United decisions and more.
“I think he’s still a very important player, but has just been unlucky with his injuries.”
Given the drop off in the standard of Casemiro’s performances this season, and with Sir Jim Ratcliffe joining the club to take control of sporting aspects, the Brazilian is likely to be moved on at some point – to the Saudi Pro League or otherwise.