New Delhi: After taking the footballing world by storm last season, the Saudi Pro League was a threat everyone was prepared for heading into this season’s transfer window. However, the Saudi clubs didn’t really sign as many players as they did in the previous season’s window but still managed to create waves. Al-Ahli were after Victor Osimhen and offered him a crazy package to leave European football behind but eventually signed Ivan Toney. Now that the Saudi Pro League’s transfer window is closing tonight, it’ll be interesting to see who can still join on the deadline day.
Victor Osimhen was the biggest name linked with a move to Saudi in the last few weeks but now it seems like the Nigerian striker will head to Galatasaray on a loan deal. Al-Hilal, Al-Itihadd, and Al-Nassr are all clubs who are interested in signing more players on deadline day and they could all come away with deals for some of the players that aren’t in their team’s plans. Here’s a list of five players who can all move to the Saudi Pro League on the deadline day and play in the same league as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.
4) Chris Smalling
Chris Smalling gestures during the pre-season friendly match between Everton and Roma at Goodison Park on August 10, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
Former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling is on the verge of completing a move to Saudi Arabia from Italian side AS Roma. The Englishman’s move to Al-Fayha will make him the only English player in the league and the third Englishman to ever play in the league behind Mo Adams and former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. The 34-year-old will join former Everton player Henry Onyekuru at the club.
AS Roma have already agreed a deal to sign former Atletico Madrid defender Mario Hermoso as a replacement for the outgoing Smalling. Smalling made a name for himself at Manchester United and won two Premier League titles with the club but then fell out of favour and earned himself a move to AS Roma. At Roma, he sort of had a career revival, where he made over 150 appearances for the Italian side and won the UEFA Europa Conference League with the club in 2022.
3) Angelo Gabriel
Angelo Gabriel controls the ball during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between RC Strasbourg and Paris Saint-Germain at Stade de la Meinau on February 2, 2024 in Strasbourg, France. (Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr are close to completing a move for Chelsea winger Angelo Gabriel after the club decided to fill one of their U-21 slots. Angelo is a highly-rated winger who joined Chelsea from Brazillian club Santos in 2023 and spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Chelsea’s sister club RC Strasbourg. The 19-year-old didn’t enjoy the best of times in France and failed to score a single goal for the club. In 25 appearances he only made four assists before returning to Chelsea.
The winger signed for Chelsea for £13 million last season but has yet to make a competitive appearance for Chelsea. Now the Blues are set to make a profit on the player if his deal with Al-Nassr goes through as both sides have agreed on a £19.6 million fee for the Brazillian. Chelsea’s attacking arrivals meant that there was no place for the 19-year-old in the squad and they were looking to get him out of the club and it seems like Al-Nassr have agreed to take him off their hands.
2) Danilo Pereira
Danilo runs with the ball during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between FC Metz and Paris Saint-Germain at Stade Saint-Symphorien on May 19, 2024 in Metz, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier – PSG/PSG via Getty Images)
PSG’s defensive midfielder Danilo Pereira is all set to move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. The Portuguese holding midfielder will join the likes of N’Golo Kante, Fabinho, Karim Benzema, and Moussa Diaby at the club once his move is officially announced. The midfielder wasn’t a part of manager Luis Enrique’s plans and was available to be bought in the window. New Al-Ittihad manager Laurent Blanc decided to make use of this opportunity and went back to his old club for the Portuguese’s services.
PSG wanted a permanent move for the midfielder and that was key for the deal to take place. The two clubs agreed on a €5 million package for the 32-year-old midfielder. Danilo joined the Parisians in October 2020 and went on to make more than 150 appearances for the club and made 34 appearances last season. He was initially close to leaving the club with a move to AS Monaco but that didn’t pan out he now seems to be heading to the Middle East.
1) Steven Bergwijn
Steven Bergwijn scoring a penalty during the UEFA Europa League match between Ajax v Panathinaikos at the Johan Cruijff Arena on August 15, 2024 in Amsterdam Netherlands (Photo by Jeroen van den Berg/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Former Spurs and current Ajax winger Steven Bergwijn has suddenly emerged as a top target for Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad side. The SPL side are looking to sign a new winger having sold Portuguese winger Jota to French outfit Rennes. They have targeted multiple players for that role with the most notable name being that of Arsenal star Leandro Trossard but a bid for the Belgian for swiftly rejected by the Gunners. Apart from Trossard, Laurent Blanc’s side were also interested in signing Porto’s Wenderson Galeno and the aforementioned Bergwijn.
The club have agreed a deal with both Porto and Ajax but are expected to only sign one of the wingers. Al-Ittihad are close to agreeing to a fee in the region of €20 million for Bergwijn and have a verbal agreement with FC Porto on €50 million for Galeno. However, it seems like Bergwijn is the current favourite of the club according to online reports and Ajax have also verbally agreed on a loan with an option to buy Kamaldeen Sulemana from Southampton if Bergwijn does head to the Saudi Arabian club.
While the European transfer window closed last Friday, the Saudi Pro League’s window is still open and here are the five players that can still move to the league before the window slams shut. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
