A LEAGUE APART

Saudi clubs are on a controversial mission to sign the biggest names in football

- NASIFA SULAIMAN

THE moment Cristiano Ronaldo signed his eye-watering deal with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, experts predicted there'd be a ripple effect around the football world.

And they were right.

Clubs in the Saudi Professional League (SPL) have been on a shopping spree in the months since the Portuguese superstar made the Middle East his home, snapping up one big name after the other.

In June, reigning Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema joined Al Ittihad on a three-year deal worth a reported $100 million (R1,9 billion) and others soon followed suit.

Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kanté and Portugal midfielder Rúben Neves have all signed with Saudi clubs.

Most recently Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar signed a two-year deal with Al Hilal in a move reportedly worth £86m (R2bn). Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mané signed with Al Nassr in a deal that will earn him £650 000 (R15,6m) a week. Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson inked a contract with Al Ettifaq, which means he'll bank £700 000 (R16,8m) a week.

The message is clear: Saudi is on a mission to take on the world's biggest football leagues.

But it's not going to be that easy - the country has a long, dark history of human rights violations, making it a tough sell.

Al Hilal also made a world-record £259m (R6,2bn) offer for PSG's Kylian Mbappé but he turned it down, saying he doesn't want to play in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis also desperately wanted Lionel Messi, offering an eye-watering £390m (R9,3bn) for him to play at Al Hilal, but he opted to go to David Beckham's Inter Miami instead.

A setback? Well, maybe. But Saudi Arabia's football offensive shows no sign of slowing down. The country is hosting the 2023 Fifa Club World Cup in December - with Manchester City among the competing teams - and will also host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.