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September 2, 2024
One of the football leagues with the quickest rate of growth worldwide is the Saudi Pro League (SPL). The league has been in operation for over 40 years, but it wasn’t until 2023—during the Saudi Vision 2030 project—that it became widely known. This was after legendary football player Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Al Nassr, and several other seasoned players followed in the Portuguese player’s footsteps.
The reason for this is simple: significant funding from the Saudi Arabian government has allowed Saudi Pro League 2024 clubs to provide attractive contracts, which have drawn in many talented individuals from across the globe. The possibility of an affluent lifestyle combined with a generally laid-back yet competitive level of football is very alluring.
With every player in the league having a massive contract quoted, the pay expenses at every club must be staggering in such a star-studded league. These ten contracts are the largest in Saudi Pro League history, and it should come as no surprise that all the names on the list were signed recently.
Credits to Saudi Pro League Image Gallery
Annual Salary: £85.2 million
Following a contentious conclusion at Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United in favor of a more affluent life in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo continues to be at the top of the list of the most lucrative contracts ever offered, not just in the nation but also in the sport’s history, with an incredible £3.28 million per week.
It is hard to ask for more from the former Real Madrid icon, even with such high-value earnings; he led the squad in assists with 11 and won the top scorer award with 35 goals but missed out on winning the division. Ronaldo is still going strong at 39 years old and doesn’t seem slowing down.
Annual Salary: £85.2 million
Neymar, the most expensive footballer in history, made another blockbuster move in the summer of 2023 to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia for a deal exceeding £90 million. Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps, Neymar was expected to become the subsequent marquee signing in the Saudi Pro League, earning an astonishing £1.64 million per week.
However, his debut season has yet to meet expectations. After three league appearances, Neymar’s momentum was abruptly halted by an ACL injury sustained during international duty. Despite this setback, there’s still time for the Brazilian star to establish himself as a crucial figure in Al-Hilal’s formidable squad. Neymar is eager to return to action and is determined to make his mark in the league.
“I am fine. I am feeling good. I am impatient to be back on the pitch. The fans are unbelievable.”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to give them the happiness they deserve, but you can be sure that next season we are going to have a lot of fun.”
Annual Salary: £85.2 million
Karim Benzema secured the third most lucrative contract in Saudi Pro League history, earning a staggering £1.64 million weekly. After a long and illustrious career at Real Madrid, where he had the option to extend his stay for another year, the allure of a massive financial offer from Al-Ittihad proved irresistible.
Despite his Ballon d’Or-winning pedigree, Benzema’s transition to life in the Middle East has been challenging. In 21 league appearances, he managed only nine goals, leaving fans disappointed. Benzema himself expressed frustration, citing a lack of support from his teammates as a critical factor in his struggles. So far, his time at Al-Ittihad has been underwhelming, and he has yet to fully live up to the expectations set by his remarkable European career.
Annual Salary: £44.5 million
After a glorious final season at Manchester City, where Riyad Mahrez helped secure a historic treble—the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League—the Algerian winger opted for a new chapter with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. Mahrez remains the same skillful and electrifying wide player fans adored at the Etihad, but now performing on a different stage and with a much heftier paycheck.
In reflecting on his decision, Mahrez expressed satisfaction with the achievements of his senior career and welcomed the opportunity to spend his subsequent years in a more relaxed environment. The move marks a new phase for the seasoned star, where he can enjoy his game at a different pace while reaping the financial rewards.
“I was offered four years in Saudi Arabia, in a Muslim country where I can definitely protect (and provide for) my family.”
“There was also a new challenge, and a new project. So, I decided to leave; it wasn’t a big deal.”
Annual Salary: £34.1 million
After a disappointing spell at Bayern Munich, former Premier League star Sadio Mané found a fresh opportunity in Saudi Arabia, thanks to the encouragement of his former Liverpool teammates, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino. They urged him to consider a move to the Saudi Pro League. Mané eventually joined Al-Nassr, securing a weekly salary of £655,000—nearly seven times what he earned during his peak years at Liverpool and more than double his pay at Bayern.
Mané regained some of his old form in Saudi Arabia, particularly excelling on the wings. By the end of the 2023/24 season, he ranked as Al-Nassr’s second-best player for assists and third for goals, marking a significant improvement in his fortunes.
Annual Salary: £30.0 million
After successful stints with Napoli in Italy and Chelsea in England, Kalidou Koulibaly joined Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023, just a year after his move to London. While earning a substantial £295,000 per week at Chelsea, the Senegalese defender was offered the chance to double his Salary in Saudi Arabia.
In a candid interview, Koulibaly openly discussed his decision to leave the Premier League, admitting that the financial offer played a crucial role in his choice. Moving to Al-Hilal marked a new phase in his career, where he could benefit from both a lucrative deal and a fresh challenge in the Saudi Pro League.
“I can’t deny it, I will be able to help my whole family to live well, from my parents to my cousins, and support the activities of my Capitaine du Coeur association in Senegal.”
In addition to receiving a pay increase, Koulibaly has proven his worth by contributing to his team’s 14 clean sheets in 30 league games.
Annual Salary: £21.3 million
Aleksandr Mitrovic is a well-known English football player. He has won two EFL Championship titles. After Fulham was promoted to the Premier League in the 2022–2023 season, he successfully acquired the starting striker role for the team. But just as the Serbian magician was finding success in the English premier league, Al-Hilal made a surprise move the following summer with a bid of about £44.3 million. Mitrovic became one of the top scorers in the Saudi Pro League and one of the highest-paid players.
His team’s easy victory in the competition for the division title that season was mainly due to his outstanding 28-goal season in 2023–24, which placed him second in the scoring standings only to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Annual Salary: £21.3 million
For eight years of his career, Sergei Milinkovic-Savic was a pillar of support at Lazio, where he amassed the most goals of any midfield player in club history. His importance to the Serie A squad became clear when it was reported that the team’s president rejected extravagant offers totaling around £85 million from teams like Manchester United and AC Milan.
But in the end, since his contract in Italy was about to expire, the Serbian decided—along with many other people—to go to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023, lured by the alluring weekly Salary of about £409,000. Since then, he has developed into one of Al-Hilal’s most valuable assets and is regarded as one of the division’s top midfielders in terms of contribution.
Annual Salary: £21.3 million
N’Golo Kante had established himself as one of the best midfielders of his generation after winning significant domestic and European honors with Chelsea and Leicester City. However, a terrible hamstring injury in August 2022 prevented him from playing until April of the following year. The Frenchman’s contract was set to expire in July 2023, and Chelsea’s upper management was happy to let it go. However, Al-Ittihad then entered the picture with an offer of a deal that the Frenchman could not refuse.
Kante began working in the Saudi Pro League with a weekly wage of £409,000, and his accomplishments also secured him a spot in Didier Deschamps’ squad for the 2024 European Championship. It was nice to have the man born in Paris back at the center of the French midfield as he continued to direct play.
Annual Salary: £21.0 million
Ivan Toney completed a deadline-day trade to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2024, which surprised several, given the number of elite English clubs, including Arsenal and Chelsea, that were interested in signing him. However, Al-Ahli ultimately agreed to pay Brentford’s demands of £40 million, making the forward the second-highest-paid English player in the world.
The rumored £403,000 weekly salary is a 1000% increase over his previous Gtech Community Stadium pay, and it is something he would very likely never have received had he signed with any other Saudi Arabian club.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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