Saudi Pro League transfers: all the ins and outs so far this summer (2023)
The Saudi Pro League has gained a lot of attention over recent months as the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund took ownership of four clubs (Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr) with the intention of investing heavily in the league and those specific clubs.
With that, there has been an influx of stars heading to the gulf state this summer, following Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr in the winter. Unlike some leagues that have come from nowhere to spend loads of money in the recent past, such as the Chinese Super League, there has been a different profile of player departing Europe in the last few weeks with younger players reaching a peak or people at their peak opting for a ‘new challenge’.
This is a summary at every incoming and outgoing at all 18 clubs ahead of the 2023/24 Saudi Pro League campaign, which begins on 11th August.
*Fees are as reported on Transfermarkt.com
ABHA
OUT
Saeed Al-Hamsl | Al-Khaleej | FREE
IN
Mohammed Naji | Al-Batin | Undisclosed fee
Saleh Al-Qumayzi | Al-Faisaly | Undisclosed fee
AL-AHLI
OUT
Salman Al-Muwashar | Released
Nicolas Milesi | Released
Talal Al-Absi | Al-Hazem | FREE
Hicham Faik | Released
Yasser Al-Mosailem | RETIRED
Omar Al-Somah | Released
IN
Abdullah Otayf | Al-Hilal | FREE
Sumaihan Al-Nabit | Al-Taawoun | FREE
Fahad Al-Rashidi | Al-Taawoun | FREE
Edouard Mendy | Chelsea | £15.788 million
Roberto Firmino | Liverpool | FREE
AL-ETTIFAQ
OUT
Abdullah Al-Salem | Al-Khaleej | FREE
Naim Sliti | Al-Ahli | FREE
Youssoufou Niakate | Released
Saeed Al-Mowalad | Released
IN
AL-FATEH
OUT
IN
Saeed Al-Basisi | Jeddah | Undisclosed fee
AL-FAYHA
OUT
Faisal Al-Masrahi | Released
Ali Al-Zaqan | Released
Moslem Al-Freej | Al-Safa | FREE
Bander Al-Mutairi | Al-Khaleej | Undisclosed fee
Hazza Asseri | Al-Bukiryah | Undisclosed fee
IN
Nawaf Al-Harthi | Al-Ain | FREE
Ahmed Al-Kassar | Al-Faisaly | FREE
Gojko Cimirot | Standard Liege | FREE
AL-HAZEM
OUT
Naoufel Zerhouni | Released
Ola John | Al-Arabi | FREE
Abdulrahman Al-Dhaferi | Al-Arabi | FREE
Abdulhadi Al-Harajin | Al-Hazem | Undisclosed fee
Sultan Faqihi | Damac | Undisclosed fee
Suleiman Al-Saeed | Al-Jabalain | Undisclosed fee
Khaled Al-Barakah | Al-Najma | Undisclosed fee
IN
Talal Al-Absi | Al-Ahli | FREE
Mohamed Al-Thani | Ohod Al-Medina | FREE
Aymen Dahmen | CS Sfaxien | FREE
Nawaf Al-Habashi | Al-Riyadh | Undisclosed fee
Majed Al-Ghamdi | Ohod Al-Medina | Undisclosed fee
Sultan Tanker | Jeddah | Undisclosed fee
AL-HILAL
OUT
Gustavo Cuellar | Al-Shabab | £1.178 million
Abdullah Otayf | Al-Ahli | FREE
Hamad Al-Abdan | Al-Khaleej | FREE
Luciano Vietto | Released
Odion Ighalo | Released
Fawaz Al-Torais | Al-Khaleej | FREE
IN
Ruben Neves | Wolverhampton Wanderers | £46.94 million
Kalidou Koulibaly | Chelsea | £19.628 million
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic | Lazio | £34.6 million
AL-ITTIHAD
OUT
Bruno Henrique | Released
Mohammed Sawaan | Al-Kholood | FREE
Ahmed Saleh Bahusyan | Al-Taawoun | Undisclosed fee
Abdalellah Hawsawi | Al-Khaleej | LOAN
Khaled Al-Sumairi | Al-Khaleej | FREEK
IN
Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | FREE
N’Golo Kante | Chelsea | FREE
Jota | Celtic | £25 million
Sultan Al-Farhan | Al-Raed | FREE
AL-KHALEEJ
OUT
Abdullah Al-Harbi | Al-Kholood | FREE
Hussain Al-Nuweqi | Al-Riyadh | Undisclosed fee
IN
Pedro Rebocho | Lech Poznan | FREE
Abdullah Al-Salem | Al-Ettifaq | FREE
Saeed Al-Hamsl | Abha | FREE
Ivo Rodrigues | Famalicao | FREE
Hamad Al-Abdan | Al-Hilal | FREE
Abdalellah Hawsawi | Al-Ittihad | LOAN
Bander Al-Mutairi | Al-Fayha | Undisclosed fee
Lisandro Lopez | Club Tijuana | Undisclosed fee
Khaled Al-Sumairi | Al-Ittihad | FREE
Abdalellah Hawsawi | Al-Ittihad | LOAN
Ivo Rodrigues | Famalicao | LOAN
AL-NASSR
OUT
Alvaro Gonzalez | Released
Luiz Gustavo | Released
Khalil Al-Absi | Al-Hazem | LOAN
IN
Marcelo Brozovic | Internazionale | £15.35 million
Seko Fofana | Lens | £21.625 million
AL-OKHDOOD
OUT
Ahmed Al-Muwallad | Al-Arabi | FREE
Kaka Mendes | Al-Safa | FREE
Borhane Hakimi | Al-Safa | FREE
Maicon Douglas | Al-Safa | FREE
Mohammed Reman | Al-Najma | FREE
Vladimir Stojkovic | Al-Faisaly | FREE
Pato | Al-Najma | Undisclosed fee
Reinaldo | Al-Safa | Undisclosed fee
IN
Paulo Vitor | Chaves | FREE
Awadh Faraj | Al-Raed | FREE
Hussein Shae’an | Al-Shabab | FREE
Juan Sebastian Pedroza | Independiente Santa Fe | Undisclosed fee
Hamad Al-Mansour | Al-Nassr | LOAN
Solomon Kverkvelia | Neftchi Baku | FREE
Andrei Burca | CFR Cluj | FREE
AL-RAED
OUT
Damjan Djokovic | FCSB | FREE
Awadh Faraj | Al-Okhdood | FREE
IN
Amir Sayoud | Al-Tai | FREE
Bandar Wahishi | Al-Hilal | FREE
Nasser Al-Hadhood | Al-Hilal | FREE
Hamad Al-Jayzani | Al-Wehda | FREE
AL-RIYADH
OUT
Marcinho | Released
Muralha | Al-Arabi | FREE
Diego Miranda | Al-Arabi | FREE
Masoud Bakheet | Al-Jabalain | FREE
Emanuel Novo | Al-Taraji | FREE
Miodrag Gemirovic | Al-Jabalain | Undisclosed fee
Nawaf Al-Habashi | Al-Hazem | Undisclosed fee
Nikola Stojiljkovic | Dibba Fujairah | Undisclosed fee
IN
Martin Campana | Al-Batin | FREE
Hussain Al-Nuweqi | Al-Khaleej | Undisclosed fee
Knowledge Musona | Al-Tai | Undisclosed fee
Abdulhadi Al-Harajin | Al-Hazem | Undisclosed fee
Alin Tosca | Benevento | Undisclosed fee
AL-SHABAB
OUT
Nawaf Al-Abed | Released
Hussein Shae’an | Al-Okhdood | FREE
Aaron Boupendza | Cincinnati | £5.548 million
Khalid Al-Ghamdi | RETIRED
Cristian Guanca | Al-Wehda | LOAN
IN
Gustavo Cuellar | Al-Hilal | £1.178 million
AL-TAAWOUN
OUT
Kaku | Al-Ain | £4.267 million
Sumaihan Al-Nabit | Al-Ahli | FREE
Fahad Al-Rashidi | Al-Ahli | FREE
IN
Waleed Al-Ahmed | Al-Faisaly | FREE
Ahmed Saleh Bahusayn | Al-Ittihad | Undisclosed fee
Flavio | Trabzonspor | LOAN
Abdulmalik Al-Shammari | Al-Raed | Undisclosed fee
AL-TAI
OUT
Knowledge Musona | Al-Riyadh | Undisclosed fee
IN
Robert Bauer | Sint-Truiden | FREE
Mohammed Marzouq | Wej | Undisclosed fee
Abdulrahman Al-Harthi | Al-Ain | FREE
Rakan Al-Shamlan | Al-Batin | FREE
Bernard Mensah | Kayserispor | FREE
Virgil Misidjan | Twente | FREE
Ibrahim Al-Nakhil | Damac | Undisclosed fee
Abdulfattah Asiri | Mariehamn | Undisclosed fee
Tareq Abdullah | Al-Ittihad | Undisclosed fee
AL-WEHDA
OUT
Karim Yoda | Al-Adalah | Undisclosed fee
Hamad Al-Jayzani | Al-Raed | FREE
Noor Al-Rashidi | Damac | Undisclosed fee
IN
DAMAC
OUT
Nono | Released
El Arbi Hillel Soudani | Maribor | FREE
IN
Hassan Abusharara | Al-Qadsiah | FREE
Sultan Faqihi | Al-Hatem | Undisclosed fee
Fahad Al-Johani | Al-Tai | FREE
Noor Al-Rashidi | Al Wehda | Undisclosed fee
Abdulaziz Al-Bishi | Al-Ittihad | LOAN