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The Saudi Pro League (SPL) spent a record $957 million during the 2023 summer transfer window, with a net spend of $907 million, according to Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.
The SPL’s net spend comes in only second to Premier League’s net transfer spend of $1.39 billion, according to the financial advisory firm.
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The Saudi Pro League heavily established itself as a serious player in the global sports arena when it began recruiting some of the world’s top players to their squads.
From Cristiano Ronaldo to Karim Benzema and Neymar, dozens of footballers have made headlines this year after accepting offers to play for the Saudi Pro League.
While FIFA listed September 20 as the deadline for the transfer window, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation closed its registration of players on September 7.
Almost half of the transfer fees received by Premier League clubs from overseas – worth $698 million – came from Saudi Pro League clubs.
These transfer receipts of $312 million were concentrated among eight clubs, with four of these among the Premier League’s ‘big six’— Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – the report added.
Two Premier League clubs, Fulham and Liverpool, saw 100 percent of their transfer receipts come from Saudi Pro League clubs.
Propelling the SPL forward
More than 80 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population either play, attend, or follow football, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Mass participation in sports by both men and women rose from 13 percent in 2015 to almost 50 percent in 2022.
The Kingdom’s new football strategy aims to increase clubs’ competitiveness, create long-term growth in the sports sector, and become a global player in the football world – and the SPL has proved it can accomplish its goal.
“The ambitious number of player acquisitions and the caliber of players signed by Saudi Pro League clubs demonstrate the Kingdom’s commitment to propelling the SPL to become a leading football league on the world-stage,” said Izzy Wray of Deloitte’s Sports Business Group in a statement.
“This marks the first time since 2016 that another international league has outspent any of Europe’s ‘big five’ during a football transfer window, with new players bringing the promise of new fans and partners to strengthen the SPL’s prominence.”
Read more:
A look at Roberto Mancini, Saudi Arabia’s new football head coach
Saudi Pro League: Everything you need to know about the transfer window
Everton winger Demarai Gray joins Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq
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