The Saudi Pro League (SPL) has spent the past three years growing its global profile in a project backed by sovereign wealth and other investors.
The SPL has brought in players from Europe, South America and Africa to attract more attention to the league, and the strategy has partially worked.
However, many people believe the SPL’s investment has done little to change the country’s status as a footballing backwater. In-stadium attendances support that notion.
Intriguingly, Ivan Toney (Al–Ahli), Chris Smalling (Al–Fayha), Josh Brownhill (Al–Shabab), and John Buckley (Al–Kholood) are the only English players in the league.
Given that England is widely renowned as ‘the home of football’ this apparent snub appears to be a significant blow to the SPL. Read on as we take a closer look.
Prestige Still Matters in English Football
The SPL has failed to attract elite-tier English stars at the peak of their powers. There is no Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka or Harry Kane, which says a lot.
They ply their trade in the top five European leagues, which remain the financial and competitive benchmark on football. The SPL has money, but little in the way of reputation.
Playing in one of the top five European leagues and featuring in the UEFA Champions League carries a bigger weight and a stronger legacy. The SPL cannot match this.
The upper tiers of the English pyramid are clearly more attractive to home-grown players, despite the vast sums of money on offer in the Middle East.
Why Aren’t SPL Clubs Targeting English Players?
The Premier League and Championship should be a happy hunting ground SPL clubs, but a tally of just four players in the competition tells a painful story.
The top-flight in particular is stacked with marketable names who could bolster the SPL’s global profile. However, Toney is the pinnacle of who they have been able to entice.
While he has been successful, other negative experiences may have given SPL clubs reasons to believe that shopping in the English market is not a good idea.
Jordan Henderson’s short-lived stint in the SPL may not have helped matters. The English midfielder was a key part of the Liverpool side that enjoyed success under Jurgen Klopp.
However, he failed to settle after chasing the money in the Middle East and soon headed back to European football. Former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard was another flop in the SPL.
He endured a miserable time as the head coach of Al–Ettifaq before being sacked. Given that he previously failed at Aston Villa, their decision to appoint him wasn’t a sensible one.
SPL clubs may have calculated that acquiring players from France, Brazil, Portugal and Spain offers better value for money than signing stars from England.
In those markets, £20 million can secure an exciting talent with high upside. The same figure in England acquires a rotation option.
Second-Tier Players are the Way Forward for the SPL
Al–Ahli struck gold with Toney. With Premier League clubs hesitant to sign the striker due to Brentford’s demands, they persuaded him to move to Saudi Arabia.
Due to his record in the Premier League, bookmakers took evasive action by installing Toney as one of the favourites to finish as the SPL’s top goalscorer.
User-reviewed betting platforms such as YYY Sport were inundated with Arab punters backing him at generous odds to pip Cristiano Ronaldo to the prize.
While he eventually missed out on the award in his first season, his record of 42 goals and eight assists in 60 appearances for Al–Ahli proves the transfer has been a masterstroke.
However, Toney is an outlier. SPL clubs will struggle to find similaropportunities to snap up top English players. Championship-level players are a different story.
Brownhill and Buckley have settled well in Saudi Arabia. Al–Shabab signed Brownhill on a free transfer with Premier League clubs circling, and he is proving to be a terrific addition.
Buckley has also impressed. He fell out of favour at Blackburn Rovers, but has subsequently showcased his talents with Al-Kholood. This is the tier of players SPL clubs should aim for.
However, aside from the obvious financial gain, it is hard to argue that a move to the SPL advances the football career of manyEnglish players.
Aside from the clubs artificially backed by sovereign wealth funds and other minted investors, the overall standard in the SPL is hugely underwhelming.
SPL clubs may have more joy attracting English players if they scout Championship teams, but their hopes of attracting elite-level talents to the Middle East are extremely remote.
