Summer transfer window: The biggest move from Saudi Arabia will be an important factor

CNN
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European soccer balls the summer transfer window is in full swing, and several surnames are already moving on to new pastures.

It’s one of the hottest periods in the football calendar as ITK’s In The Knows, the people with the transfer news’ sources, battle it out on social media to be the first to reveal where a player is heading next.

The transfer window for clubs in England and Scotland opened on June 14, but clubs cannot sign players from abroad until the international window opens on July 1. All of Europe’s top five leagues close their transfer windows on September 1st.

This year, however, there is a new significant factor: Saudi Arabia.

In the same way, the Chinese Super League rushed into the market several years ago with huge transfer fees and player salaries. Saudi Arabia is now luring some big names in Europe to move east for one last mammoth payday. After that, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldos moved to Saudi Arabian Al Nassr in December 2022.

CNN Sport takes a look at the biggest moves so far and others said to be close to completion.

In the Saudi Pro League’s first major coup of the summer Karim Benzema has agreed to join Al-Ittihad when his contract with Real Madrid expires. According to media reports, the value of the deal is more than 100 million euros ($106.89 million).

Benzema, now 35, has been one of the best strikers in the world for more than a decade. He has collected an impressive number of trophies in his 14 seasons at Real Madrid, including five Champions League crowns and three La Liga titles.

His performances in 2021/22 as Real won the Champions League and La Liga double saw the Frenchman lift the Ballon dOr award for the best player in the men’s game last year.

Perhaps the most sought-after player in world football this summer, Jude Bellingham will take his considerable talents to Real Madrid next season after White people paid Borussia Dortmund 103 million ($110.4 million) for his signature.

Still just 19 years old, the Bellingham native has developed into one of the most complete midfielders in football since moving to Dortmund from boyhood club Birmingham City in 2020, and has also become a key figure in the England national team.

After a disappointing post-season, Real Madrid will be hopeful that Bellingham will be a star midfielder in the years to come with the departures of aging Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

Carriage Kant, an all-purpose midfielder who has rightly been hailed as one of the best midfielders of his generation, soon became another big name to move to Saudi Arabia. He joined Benzema at Al-Ittihad on a free transfer after his Chelsea contract expired. at the end of June.

According to British media, the 32-year-old midfielder has signed a contract worth around 86 million ($109.8 million) per year.

In eight years in England, Kant won two Premier League titles, first as part of Leicester City’s unlikely 5,000-1 win over the Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.

Above all, his almost superhuman fitness stands out, even though he struggled with injuries last season. Kants’ work rate has been so incredible since arriving in England with Leicester in 2015 that he has often been described as single-handedly covering two midfielders.

Three years after joining RB Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain, Chrisopher Nkunku has established himself as one of the most exciting strikers in European football.

In the 2021/2022 season, the Frenchman scored 35 goals, including seven in six Champions League matches, and recorded 16 assists in all competitions. Nkunku scored another 23 goals in the 2022/2023 season as Leipzig won the German Cup for the second consecutive season.

Chelsea have reportedly paid Leipzig 53 million ($67.7 million) for Nkunkus’ services, marking another major investment for the clubs’ American owner Todd Boehly, who hopes the 25-year-old can provide much-needed firepower in attack.

Arsenal are reportedly close to completing a £65m ($83m) deal for Chelsea striker Kai Kavertz as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad after the teams capitulated in the Premier League title race.

If Arsenal get the deal over the line, Havertz will immediately improve the Gunners starting XI. Many fans have expressed surprise at a player of his quality being traded to a direct rival, but Boehly has assembled a bloated squad that is in dire need of trimming.

Havertz scored the winning goal for Chelsea against Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final and Arsenal will be hoping for more of that magic as the team return to European football’s premier competition for the first time since 2016-17.

After guiding West Ham to the European Conference League title, the team’s first major trophy since 1980, club captain Declan Rice is on the verge of a move to Arsenal.

Still only 24 years old, Rice has established himself as one of Europe’s most promising midfielders, and according to West Ham, the asking price is around 100 million ($127.7 million). Rice has also shown some attacking flair with a stunning solo play against Gent in the Europa Conference League, running half the length of the pitch before slotting the ball home.

Rice, who was in the youth ranks at Chelsea and then West Ham, was voted Conference League Player of the Season. Arsenal reportedly have to fend off interest from Manchester City and Manchester United for his signature.

Manchester City’s recruitment drive to strengthen the squad to defend all three titles is already underway after becoming the second English team in history to complete the Treble.

Chelsea’s Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovai will become Pep Guardiola’s first major signing for a reported fee of 30 million ($38.3 million) as Chelsea continue their summer offloading.

With club captain lkay Gndoan looking increasingly likely to leave the club and Bernardo Silva also considering his options, City will need Kovai to hit the ground running if the club are to continue their dominance in England and Europe.

Alexis Mac Allister enjoyed a sensational season for Brighton in the Premier League, but it was his performances at the World Cup in Argentina that really made everyone sit up and take notice.

After Lionel Messi, it could easily be argued that Mac Allister was Argentina’s best player in Qatar, his movement and interactive play in attack the deciding factor La Albiceleste lifted the trophy for the first time since 1986.

Liverpool reportedly paid an initial fee of 35 million ($44.6 million), which could rise to 55 million ($70 million) in add-ons, and Jurgen Klopp hoped Mac Allister would fill the departing Roberto Firminos’ sizeable shoes at Anfield.

Rben Neves to Wolverhampton Wanderers Al Hilal

Rben Neves may not be the biggest star to take his talents to Saudi Arabia, but his reported 47 million move to Al Hilal is significant considering the midfielder is still only 26 years old. Until his transfer, only players in the twilight of their careers had moved to the SPL.

Given that Barcelona were reportedly keen on signing Neves, the deal is a significant coup for Al Hilal and the league in general, but the size of the transfer fee has raised eyebrows as the Portuguese has just one year left on his contract. No club in Europe would have paid anywhere near that fee for a player who could leave for free next season.

Neves has been a star for Wolves since joining when the club were in the English Championship and has only gotten better since earning promotion to the Premier League, where he has established himself as the team’s best player and captain.