12 Jun 2026 20:47 BST |
7 min read
The Saudi Pro League emerged as one of the richest leagues in football in 2023, with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) pumping astronomical money into the sport in order to sign some of the world’s best players.
That strategy has worked, with Cristiano Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr in December 2022 to start a chain of events that has seen Europe lose several of its brightest talents.
Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante soon followed Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia, with the French pair both signing for Al-Ittihad.
Ronaldo, Benzema and Kante all moved to Saudi Arabia on free transfers and were rewarded with bumper salaries, but the Saudi PIF – who own Al-Nassr, Al Ahli, Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal – have also spent big on transfer fees.
Then, Neymar joined them in Saudi Arabia when he signed for Al-Hilal on a two-year deal after they spent €90m to acquire his services from PSG. In the process, Neymar became the most expensive Saudi Pro League signing ever.
Furthermore, the likes of Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Fabinho left the Premier League for the riches of Saudi Arabia.
The spending continued in 2024 and 2025, with Moussa Diaby, Jhon Duran, Mateo Retegui and more moving to the Middle East for astronomical sums.
FootballTransfers takes you through the 10 most expensive Saudi Pro League transfers of all time.
10. Galeno – €50m (Porto to Al-Ahli, 2025)
When former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas was elected as Porto president, he walked into a financial mess that he had to sort out by making some painful sales.
Galeno was one of them, having made more than 150 appearances for the Portuguese giants. However, when Al-Ahli offered to pay €50m for the Brazilian winger, it was an offer that was simply too good to pass up.
It was a move that ultimately suited both parties: Porto fixed their financial issues and were able to build a strong team that would win the Primeira Liga in 2026, while Galeno would become a two-time AFC Champions League Elite winner in the space of 18 months.
9. Aleksandar Mitrovic – €52.6m (Fulham to Al-Hilal, 2023)
Aleksandar Mitrovic finally joined Al-Hilal in mid-August after weeks of speculation that he would leave Fulham.
The Serbian striker left Fulham as their sixth-highest goal-scorer in history (150), while he is their record-ever departure.
The forward had a brilliant first season at Al-Hilal as he finished second top scorer in the league and led his team to the title.
8. Darwin Nunez – €53m (Liverpool to Al-Hilal, 2025
Uruguay international Darwin Nunez was supposed to be Liverpool’s long-term star striker when he joined from Benfica for a huge financial package that eventually rose to €85m in 2022.
However, the erratic forward failed to have the desired impact in the Premier League. While his scoring record was never terrible, he was just not consistent enough of a finisher to lead the line for a team like Liverpool.
After increasingly seeing his role diminish in the Premier League-winning 2024/25 season, he was sold to Al-Hilal for €53m. His Saudi adventure didn’t last long, though.
After just half a season, he was de-registered from Al-Hilal’s Saudi Pro League squad so that they could add new signing Karim Benzema to their roster.
7. Ruben Neves – €55m (Wolves to Al-Hilal, 2023)
Ruben Neves’ €55m move from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Al-Hilal became the most expensive transfer in Saudi Pro League history at the start of the summer of 2023, before it was smashed first by Malcom and subsequently Neymar.
The midfielder, who became the youngest ever captain in Champions League history during his time with Porto, was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, but the Blaugrana weren’t able to pay a suitable fee for his services.
A continuation of his stay at Molineux looked a possibility until Al-Hilal entered the race for his signature and coughed up a huge fee to persuade Wolves to sell.
The transfer was particularly key as Neves was the first player from Europe’s top five leagues to leave the continent in their prime to move to Saudi Arabia.
6. Malcom – €60m (Zenit to Al-Hilal, 2023)
Malcom is best known for his failed transfer to Barcelona, which lasted just 12 months and saw him score just four goals in 24 appearances.
Remarkably, Barcelona turned a €500k profit on the Brazil winger when they sold him to Zenit one year after purchasing him, with Malcom enjoying a prolific stint in Russia.
He bagged 42 goals for the club in just over 100 appearances before Al-Hilal made him the most expensive Saudi Pro League player ever at the time of his move.
5. Otavio – €60m (Porto to Al-Nassr, 2023)
Portugal international Otavio spent seven seasons at Porto before moving to Al-Nassr in late August 2023.
The midfielder developed into a fine player in the Primeira Liga, hitting double digits for assists in his final four campaigns at Porto.
But like many other stars from across Europe, he decided that the Saudi Pro League offered the right challenge (or finances) for the next stage of his career.
He teamed up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Sadio Mane, at Al-Nassr.
4. Moussa Diaby – €60m (Aston Villa to Al-Ittihad, 2024)
Moussa Diaby became the joint-second most expensive transfer in Saudi Arabian history at the time of his move to Al-Ittihad in 2024.
In the process, Diaby became Al-Ittihad’s most expensive transfer of all time, and also the biggest transfer of the 2024 summer transfer window.
Diaby had only signed for Aston Villa a year earlier, and he played an important role in the team qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in over 40 years.
But financial factors forced Villa to cash in on the French attacker.
3. Mateo Retegui – €61.8m (Atalanta to Al-Qadsiah, 2025)
Argentina-born striker Mateo Retegui became a sensation in Italy when he started receiving call-ups to the Azzurri while still playing his club football in Argentina. He moved to Genoa in 2023 and then to Atalanta the following year.
After a prolific season with La Dea, Al-Qadsiah shocked Serie A when they made Retegui the most expensive Italian player ever by shelling out €61.8m to acquire his services.
It was a major statement of intent from a club not owned by the PIF. Al-Qadsiah do not rely on central funding as they are backed by Aramco, which allows them to rival PIF-clubs in terms of spending.
2. Jhon Duran – €77m (Aston Villa to Al-Nassr, 2025)
Jhon Duran became the most expensive signing of the January 2025 window by a Saudi club after leaving Aston Villa for an initial fee of €77m.
The Colombian had been prolific for Villa, scoring seven times in the first half of the season, but he had failed to establish himself as a starter, starting a match just four times in the Premier League.
Despite interest from a number of top European sides, Al-Nassr met Villa’s asking price and signed the Colombian youngster late in the January window. The move was a disaster, however.
He was loaned to Fenerbahce after six months and then to Zenit after another six months. This meant that at age 22, Duran had already played in Colombia, MLS, the Premier League, the Saudi Pro League, the Turkish Super Lig and the Russian Premier League.
1. Neymar – €90m (PSG to Al-Hilal, 2023)
The Saudi transfer record was obliterated by Neymar when Al-Hilal spent €90m to lure him away from PSG in mid-August 2023.
After a joyous period at Barcelona, Neymar endured an injury-hit career in France, and ultimately failed to win the Champions League or the Ballon d’Or – his two targets upon arriving at the Parc des Princes in a world-record €222m move.
His move meant that at that time Al-Hilal had signed four of the five most expensive players in Saudi Pro League history.
Unfortunately for Neymar and Al-Hilal, he suffered a serious injury soon after joining and never really recovered. He returned to boyhood club Santos in early 2025.
The 10 most expensive Saudi Pro League signings of all time
| Player | Clubs | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Neymar | PSG to Al-Hilal | €90m | 2023 |
| 2. Jhon Duran | Aston Villa to Al-Nassr | €77m | 2025 |
| 3. Mateo Retegui | Atalanta to Al-Qadsiah | €61.8m | 2025 |
| 4. Moussa Diaby | Aston Villa to Al-Ittihad | €60m | 2024 |
| = Otavio | Porto to Al-Nassr | €60m | 2023 |
| = Malcom | Zenit to Al-Hilal | €60m | 2023 |
| 7. Ruben Neves | Wolves to Al-Hilal | €55m | 2023 |
| 8. Darwin Nunez | Liverpool to Al-Hilal | €453m | 2023 |
| 9. Aleksandar Mitrovic | Fulham to Al-Hilal | €52.5m | 2023 |
| 10. Galeno | FC Porto to Al-Ahli | €50m | 2025 |
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