Saudi Arabia has experienced a surge of talent from European clubs in recent seasons, with Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Al-Nassr serving as the trigger for significant moves to occur.
A significant amount of money has been invested in acquiring talent from Europe, with certain clubs experiencing greater effects than others.
In this analysis, we have examined the 10 European football clubs that have generated the highest revenue from selling players to Saudi Arabia.
10. Roma
Roma transferred three athletes to the Saudi Pro League within two years, including Roger Ibanez, who reportedly joined Al-Ahli for €23 million (£19.9m) during the 2023-24 season.
The next year, Houssem Aouar moved to Al-Ittihad for €12 million (£10.4m), while Joao Costa signed with Al-Ittihad for €9 million (£7.8m).
9. Fulham
Fulham's forward Mitrovic concluded a highly productive period with the Cottagers, during which he scored over 100 goals, by making a £50 million transfer to Al-Hilal.
Mitrovic is the sole player that Fulham has transferred to the Saudi Pro League, yet the scale of the deal ranked among the largest, placing them ninth on the list.
=7. Zenit
Zenit has also transferred only one player to the Saudi Pro League, but it was a significant deal. They acquired Brazilian winger Malcom from Barcelona in 2019 for £36 million, and four years later, he moved to Al-Hilal.
The transfer fee was around £51.9 million, making the winger the fourth priciest acquisition in the history of the Saudi Pro League.
=7. Wolves
The most significant transfer of Wolves to the Saudi Pro League was their top player, with Ruben Neves moving to the league for £47 million in 2023.
They subsequently transferred Daniel Podence to Al-Shabab for around £5 million the next season, matching the Molineux team's transfer fee with Zenit on the list.
6. Liverpool
Liverpool weakened their midfield by transferring two key players to the Saudi Pro League in 2023.
Fabinho made the priciest transfer, signing with Al-Ittihad for £40 million in July. Around the same time, captain Jordan Henderson moved to Al-Ettifaq for £12 million, reuniting with former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, who was coaching the team then.
5. Chelsea
In 2023, Chelsea transferred two key first-team players to the Saudi Pro League, namely Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly.
The first one joined Al-Ahli for £16 million, while Koulibaly transferred to Al-Hilal for £20 million.
The Blues executed a shrewd transfer move the next year, when they sold Angelo Gabriel to Al-Nassr for more than £19 million, even though the winger had never featured for the club. This increased their total sales to Saudi to £55 million.
4. Manchester City
The city has earned roughly £75 million from sales to the Saudi Pro League, with all the assets they released still among the best in their respective fields.
Riyad Mahrez, who remains a dynamic winger, was sold for the highest fee when he joined Al-Ahli in 2023 for £30 million.
Al-Nassr have gained from City's decision to sell star players, as in the same summer, they acquired Aymeric Laporte for an estimated £23.6 million, and later brought in Joao Cancelo for £21.2 million the next year.
3. Paris Saint-Germain
PSGgenerated approximately £89 million from sales to the Saudi Pro League, with a significant portion of that amount locked in a single transaction.
Neymar's transfer to Al-Hilal for £77.8 million represents the largest sum ever paid by a Saudi club in its history.
During the same summer, PSG allowed Georginio Wijnaldum to join Al Ettifaq for about £6.9 million, while Danilo Pereira moved to Al-Ittihad the next year for roughly £4.3 million.
2. Porto
Porto has transferred players worth £95 million – only two – to the Saudi Pro League, marking their largest and fifth-largest exits in history.
The major transfer involved Otavio, an attacking midfielder, who moved to Al-Nassr in 2023 for a fee of £51.9 million.
One year later, Brazilian winger Galeno moved to Al-Ahli for £43.2 million.
Porto have recently reacquired some talent from Saudi Arabia, acquiring Gabri Veiga from Al-Ahli, following the 23-year-old's move to the club from Celta Vigo in 2023.
1. Aston Villa
The Villa club has completed two significant transfers to the Saudi Pro League, ranking as the second and third most costly signings in the league's history.
A long-standing story involving Jhon Duran in January concluded with the forward's £71 million transfer to Al-Nassr, although he has since moved on to Fenerbahce.
That occurred six months after Moussa Diaby moved to Al Ittihad in a deal valued slightly above £50 million.
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