Has the Saudi Pro League bubble burst already? Lack of big-money transfers suggests growing pains for the world football's most ambitious project
Getty As the start of the new season approaches, no major moves have been made while several stars are said to be unsettled
Saudi Arabia shook up the world of football in the summer of 2023. Approximately £750 million ($957m) was spent on 97 signings, with Karim Benzema, Neymar, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez and other high-profile players following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, who had joined Al-Nassr during the preceding window.
As Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola pointed out, "the Saudi Pro League has changed the transfer market. Just a few months ago, when Cristiano was the only one to go, nobody could have imagined the amount of top, top players who would go to play there. I think in the near future it's going to happen more and more."
However, while there have been some notable new arrivals since this summer's window opened last month, the Pro League's clubs have not been anywhere near as active last year. So, has the Saudi bubble already burst? Is the SPL set to suffer a Chinese Super League-like crash? Or can we expect more superstar signings in the coming weeks?
