The Saudi Pro League continues to offer vast money to players, but who could be moving there during the January transfer window?
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has come to the fore in modern football, giving players staggering wages and tempting them away from the European game.
The likes of Neymar, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are just a few of the big names who have headed to the Middle East in recent years, receiving big paydays in the process.
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To some fans, joining the SPL is a sign of players accepting they are past their best, or simply taking the money instead of having the ambition to play at the highest level possible.
With the January transfer window fast approaching, here are seven players we believe could move to the Saudi Pro League.
1 Casemiro Manchester United
Casemiro has been one of the leading defensive midfielders in Europe for many years now, but there is no question that his influence is starting to wane.
The Brazilian no longer has the ability to cover ground like he used to, and while Manchester United will hope that Ruben Amorim can get more out of him than Erik ten Hag did, cashing in on him in January could make sense.
Casemiro has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, in what he could see as the final payday of his career, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him depart United midway through the season.
2 Miguel Almiron Newcastle United
Newcastle United continue to search for right-sided attacking options ahead of the January window, suggesting that they are not happy with their current options in that position.
One of those options is Miguel Almiron, who has always been a willing performer for the Magpies, but has lacked the elite level of end product to be seen as a genuine force.
Should Newcastle sign a right-winger in January, it could pave the way for Almiron to seal a move to Saudi Arabia, with a move to Al-Shabab mooted earlier this year. At 30 years of age, the Paraguayan could see this as a great chance to earn huge money during the autumn of his career.
3 Paulo Dybala Roma
Paulo Dybala has enjoyed a fantastic career, even though he arguably hasn’t quite kicked on and reached the heights some expected during his younger years.
Still at Roma and now 31, the Argentinian is one of many players to be linked with a Saudi move, and it is easy to envisage him deciding to move there in January.
Dybala may feel that he has achieved all he can in the European game, and given the fact that he isn’t getting any younger, he may look at the bigger picture and feel that a stint in the Saudi Pro League makes sense financially, even though he rejected a move there during the summer.
4 Antony Manchester United
When Antony joined United from Ajax for £85m in the summer of 2022, big things were expected.
Things haven’t panned out that way, with the Brazilian almost becoming a figure of ridicule because of his lack of end product in wide attacking areas.
For now, Antony has been linked with a switch to the Saudi Pro League, and while he turned down the chance in the summer, his lack of playing time at Old Trafford could sway his thinking in January.
5 Kevin De Bruyne Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne has been one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League, with his creativity almost unmatched in the 32 years of the competition.
However, the Belgian is now showing signs of being injury-prone and past his absolute peak, which has naturally led to him being backed to join the Saudi Pro League.
De Bruyne will likely reject the idea of it and stay put at Manchester City until the end of the season at least, potentially inspiring them to title glory once again upon his return, but a switch to Saudi Arabia in the future can’t be completely ruled out.
6 Son Heung-min Tottenham Hotspur
Son Heung-min has been a magnificent servant for Tottenham Hotspur over so many years, proving to be one of the Premier League’s leading attacking players.
Now 32, time is potentially beginning to catch up with the South Korean, with some of his performances not as electric as they once were.
In truth, it would be a surprise if Son opted to leave Spurs and move to the Saudi Pro League in January, but the idea of it happening isn’t unthinkable, and he has been linked in the recent past.
It feels less likely than some of the players mentioned above, but money still talks and the winger may want one last huge payday in his career.
7 Mohamed Salah Liverpool
Of all the players on this list, Mohamed Salah leaving for Saudi Arabia midway through the campaign would come as the biggest shock.
That’s despite the Liverpool legend being out of contract at the end of the season, with the Reds desperately trying to tie him down to a new deal – though he is yet to agree an extension at Anfield.
Al-Ittihad saw a reported £150m offer for Salah rejected last year, and the Saudi Pro League would see him as a poster boy for the division, given his worldwide fame.
To see the 32-year-old depart in January when Liverpool are in the middle of a thrilling Premier League title battle doesn’t bear thinking about, and would be a strange decision by the player himself.
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