Summerville & 11 more stars we’re gutted took the Saudi cash
The Saudi Pro League parking its tank on European football’s lawn with an aggressive and ambitious approach in the transfer market has undoubtedly reshaped everything.
When it comes to the likes of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and N’Golo Kante, we’re less fussed about seeing them go – they achieved everything there was to achieve in the European game and their best years are undoubtedly behind them.
But unlike China, Saudi Arabia has managed to tempt a number of players in their prime years. Here are 12 players we’re gutted have signed for Saudi Pro League clubs.
Crysencio Summerville
After impressing at Leeds, Summerville joined West Ham in 2024 for around £25million.
Despite an injury-hit first season in East London, the winger impressed last year even as the Hammers slipped into the Championship.
Summerville carried on this good form at the World Cup, scoring twice for the Netherlands in their unlucky campaign.
Still only 24, he was linked with moves to Manchester United or Roma this summer. The Italian club bid €40million for his signature, but Al Hilal blew them out of the water with a €80million bid.
West Ham are cavorting like Scrooge McDuck and everybody else is rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
Darwin Nunez
Nunez signed for Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal last summer, and to be honest we’re a bit gutted that one of football’s most entertaining mavericks left the top of the game in Europe.
As long as the wonderfully enigmatic Uruguayan striker is out in Saudi Arabia, we can’t imagine we’ll watch him play again.
Jhon Duran
Duran was linked with a host of clubs in January 2025, including Arsenal, Chelsea and PSG, but looks set to move to Al-Nassr in a £64.4million deal that has raised eyebrows.
The 21-year-old Colombia international signed a new deal at Villa Park running to 2030 in October last year but now seems set to depart only months later.
After victory over Celtic on Wednesday, Unai Emery strongly hinted at Duran’s departure.
“I don’t know exactly until everything is done if Jhon Duran is leaving but if he is leaving it is good news for us because it means they are paying good money,” he said.
“Because we have developed one young player in two years to get this offer. It is not only for the club, it is the club, the players and team, those circumstances can be positive.
“If he is leaving it is because he prefers to do another way in his career. If he is leaving, of course, it is because he wants to.”
An explosive goalscorer with a high ceiling, it’s a crying shame Duran left the Premier League in exchange for Saudi riches.
Gabri Veiga
Some of Europe’s top clubs might have been pleased that the Saudi Pro League has emerged to alleviate their bloated wage bills and provide an outlet for their older players.
But Gabri Veiga moving to Al Ahli should be a serious concern for European football.
The young midfielder enjoyed an outstanding breakthrough campaign at Celta Vigo in 2022-23 and is undoubtedly one of European football’s finest young talents.
Toni Kroos commented on Fabrizio Romano’s Instagram post confirming the deal that the move was “embarrassing”. Ouch.
Jordan Henderson
In footballing terms, Henderson can be filed alongside Benzema and Ronaldo in taking the paycheque after passing his best in Europe.
But it’s not for football reasons that we were disappointed in the England international signing for Al-Ettifaq. We refer you to a strong statement from Liverpool LGBT fan group Kop Outs:
“Kop Outs have valued the allyship shown by Jordan Henderson.
“We are appalled and concerned that anyone might consider working for a sportswashing operation for a regime where women & LGBT+ people are oppressed and that regularly tops the world death sentence table.
“(Steven) Gerrard’s participation in this sportswashing is particularly galling given his previous support for LA Galaxy team-mate Robbie Rogers (who came out as gay in 2013).
“When someone’s made a fortune, should money tempt them to go to work? Maybe they should be asking themselves those questions.
“We hope that Jordan Henderson proves to be a man of his word and stays true to the values of our club, which so far he has been an absolute embodiment of.”
The former England midfielder scuttled back to Europe six months later and now plays for Brentford.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
The heir to Leandro Damiao and Julian Draxler as the undisputed king of the transfer gossip column, Milinkovic-Savic’s midfield powerhouse performances for Lazio saw him consistently linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid.
More than capable of playing in the Champions League (which Lazio qualified for), it was disappointing that Milinkovic-Savic finally departed the Stadio Olimpico for Al Hilal, a club who – frankly – he’s just too good for.
Allan Saint-Maximin
One of the most fun players in the Premier League and a proper cult hero on Tyneside.
The fact that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund also owns Newcastle United made this one a bit murky.
He was the closest thing Eddie Howe’s Magpies had to one of Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers.
Ruben Neves
The youngest ever captain of a Champions League team, Neves left Porto at the age of 20 to join Wolves – back when they were in the Championship.
The Portuguese midfielder was an indelible part of Wolves’ promotion and subsequent consolidation as a Premier League club. And now he’s with Al-Hilal.
There’s a parallel universe in which Neves played in elite European competition throughout his twenties.
He certainly possesses the ability to have done. But in this universe, money evidently talks loudest.
Aleksandar Mitrovic
“If you ask me is it normal? No. Should football players behave in this way? No. Easy answer,” was Marco Silva’s terse response after Mitrovic’s move from Fulham to Al Hilal was confirmed in 2023.
“He forced it, but I’m not saying if I’m disappointed in him. Everything of my opinion I told him myself in private.”
We still miss watching the big Serbian battering ram terrorise Premier League defences.
Sadio Mane
The Senegal international might be past his peak, but it was only three years ago that he was considered one of the finest forwards in the world.
Mane’s move to Bayern Munich didn’t work out, but we still reckon that he could have offered a lot to a club at the top of the club game.
At least you can be confident that a chunk of Mane’s massive wage at Al Nassr will be donated to good causes.
Neymar
To say that Neymar has wasted his career would be something of an overstatement.
He won the Champions League with Barcelona, scored in the final, and for a time fulfilled his frightening potential alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. He’s also scored as many goals for Brazil as Pele.
But it would be fair to say that Neymar didn’t have the career that his talent warranted.
He was actually very good when fit and available for PSG, but ultimately few will look back and remember what he did in domestic French football.
Nor will his years with Al-Hilal be remembered as anything other than a sad footnote.
Disappointed? Yes. Surprised? No. Neymar was always going to take those massive sacks of cash.
Aymeric Laporte
A world-class defender on his day who surely could have played for any number of Europe’s most glamorous clubs after departing Manchester City.
Laporte wasn’t even 30 and could have spent another half-decade at the top of the game before chasing that last bumper paycheque.
Happily, he’s now returned to Europe with Athletic Bilbao and was magnificent in Spain’s World Cup triumph.
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