Every Premier League and global star has joined the Saudi Pro League in 2023:Ronaldo, Benzema, Kante… 

Saudi Arabia has been making waves in the transfer market and has managed to recruit some of European football's biggest stars.

The Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns Newcastle United, has taken control of the four biggest teams in the Saudi Pro League - Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli - and can offer players lucrative contracts.

We looked at all the Premier League players and big stars who entered the Saudi Pro League in 2023. 

Note:
Several other deals are nearing finalization, but here we have only included those that have been officially confirmed by the club.

Al Nasr

Al Nasr signed Cristiano Ronaldo in January 2023, sparking a Saudi Arabian buying spree in Europe.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Ronaldo has become available on a free transfer following his acrimonious departure from Manchester United. 

But the Portuguese international didn't come cheap, as he signed a two-and-a-half-year contract that reportedly paid him £175m a year.

Ronaldo scored 14 goals in 19 appearances in the first half and Al Nasr finished second in the Saudi Pro League.

"I paved the way for the Saudi League and now all the players are here," the 38-year-old recently told reporters.

he added:
“Within a year, more and more top players will come to Saudi Arabia. Within a year, the Saudi league will overtake the Turkish and Dutch leagues.” 

In the summer, Al Nasr beat out their Barcelona rivals by signing Inter Milan's Marcelo Brozovic for €18 million.

The Croatian international won five trophies during his time at Inter and was part of a side that lost 1-0 to Manchester City in last season's Champions League final.

Former Lens captain Seco Fofana is now in midfield after Al Nasr forced a £21.5m release clause into his contract.

The 28-year-old has established himself as one of Ligue 1's best midfielders and has previously attracted interest from the Premier League and Paris Saint-Germain.

Al Ahly

After winning the Saudi First Division last season and securing promotion to the Saudi Pro League, Al-Ahly are now looking to strengthen their side. He has already signed Edouard Mendy from Chelsea for £16m and will be paid £9.4m a year in Saudi Arabia.

The 31-year-old was linked with a move to Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan, but Al Ahly won the race to sign a three-year contract.

Al Ittihad

Nuno Espirito refused to rest on his laurels, even as he led Santo Al Itihad to the 2023 Saudi Pro League title.

They shocked the world of football when they signed Karim Benzema, the current Ballon d'Or winner who scored 354 goals in 648 appearances for Real Madrid.

Joining on a free transfer, he signed a lucrative three-year deal with the Saudi side and is expected to earn around £172m for the season. "I'm looking forward to experiencing a new football league in another country," said Benzema. “I have achieved great things in my career and have been lucky to achieve everything I can in Spain and Europe.

“Now it seems the time has come for new challenges and new projects. I look forward to joining my new teammates and helping them take this great club and game to a new level in Saudi Arabia.”

Benzema was followed by N'Golo Kante, the same French player available on a free transfer after leaving Chelsea, through the gates of Al Itihad.

During his seven-year stint at Stamford Bridge, he won six major trophies and established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world. The 32-year-old was offered a contract extension by Chelsea, but ended up moving to the Middle East on a three-year deal reportedly worth £86million for a season.

In addition to those two free transfers, Nuno Espirito Santo's side reportedly spent £25m to sign Jota from Celtic.

The youngest player on this list, the 24-year-old winger has scored 28 goals and assisted 26 in two years in Scotland, making him a true fan favorite at Parkhead.

Al Hilal SFC

Saudi Arabia and Asia's most decorated club, Al-Hilal, have spent big to reclaim their league title this summer.

They have spent £17m to sign Kalidou Koulibaly, who had a difficult debut season at Chelsea in 2021/22 and is now set to amass £26m for the season to 2026. Jorge Jesus' side then broke the Saudi Pro League transfer record, signing Rubén Neves from Wolves in a £47m deal.

The 26-year-old midfielder has long been linked with a move to Spanish giants Barcelona, ​​but he couldn't turn down Al Hilal's offer of £300,000 a week.

"It was a good project. The club and the league presented a good project," said Neves. "My agent has spoken to many people associated with the league and it was an easy decision.

"I wanted something new in my career, something different in my career. When this opportunity came, I consulted with my family and everyone was very happy, so it was easy to do.

"The main factor was the family and the opportunity to get it."