Saudi League Transfer Activity Continues

The major league market has concluded, with over 4.5 billion euros transferred between the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and LaLiga from July 1 to 48 hours ago. However, the transfer window remains open for Saudi Arabia, and several players are in their sights, causing alarms throughout the old continent.

The Saudi Pro League‘s market closes on September 11. Considering free agents and reported transfer targets, meaningful moves are still possible. Currently, reports suggest that adeoola Lookman of Atalanta is unlikely to leave the club, according to Fabrizio Romano.

However, much more is at stake. Al-Ittihad, the club of Karim Benzema, has reportedly offered 70 million euros for Rodrigo Mora, the 18-year-old striker from Porto. Brais Méndez of Real Sociedad and Mason Greenwood (Marseille) are also potential targets as the league aims to become one of the top 10 divisions globally by the summer of 2030. Cristiano Ronaldo, who arrived in 2022, is vital to this project, and the transfer boom is expected to continue.

“I also read about Saudi interest. Our intention is not to let him go; neither the player nor his representative has contacted us about it. We want him to stay,” stated Simón Rolfes, Bayer Leverkusen’s sporting director, regarding the future of Exequiel Palacios. Despite these statements, rumors persist about a potential move to the Saudi Pro League for a fee of around 30 million euros. Lionel Scaloni and his team, with the 2026 World Cup in mind, will be closely monitoring these developments.