European stars flock to Saudi Arabia football: high salaries and testimonials
European soccer, once in trouble with Chinese clubs, is trying to hold out this time under intense financial attack from Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Arabian league soccer teams, which did not back down despite warnings from FIFA and UEFA, sign many soccer stars by paying high salaries and testimonials. For some time under pressure from Chinese league teams, the Europeans are finding it hard to resist Saudi Arabian league teams, who are paid up to 10 times their own salary.
Al Ittihad, champion of the Saudi Arabian league last season, paid 29 million euros to Portuguese Jota, 24, who plays for Celtic, while Karim Benzema, who left Real Madrid, signed a 3-year contract for an annual salary. of 200 million euros.
The French footballer from Chelsea N’Golo Kante will also play for 3 years at Al Ittihad for 100 million euros.
BROZOVIC IS ALSO GONE
After the World Cup, Al Nassr, who signed Christiano Ronaldo’s 2.5-year contract for €500 million, paid €18 million for Inter’s Croatian star Marcelo Brozovic. Al Nassr, which includes names like Talisca and Pity Martinez, will give Brozovic a salary of 100 million euros for 3 years.
JESUS IN AL HILAL FOR 10 MILLION EUROS
Al Hilal, who signed a contract with Jorge Jesus from Fenerbahçe for 10 million euros a year, signed the Portuguese Ruben Neves to a 4+1 year contract for 25 million euros.
Paying 55 million euros to Wolverhampton for the 26-year-old footballer, Al Hilal handed over 23 million euros to Chelsea and signed a 3-year contract with Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly for a salary of 25 million euros.
60 MILLION FOR FIRMINO
Al Ahli added Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino, who was included in the list of the greats of the Super League after leaving Liverpool, for a total of 60 million euros for 3 years. The representative of Saudi Arabia paid a transfer fee of 18.5 million euros to acquire experienced goalkeeper Eduard Mendy from Chelsea.
OPENS 132 MILLION EUROS
In the 18-team Saudi Arabian First League, 83 players have transferred this season.
While 86 footballers from the league where 122 foreign players are present were paid 12 million 875 thousand euros, 83 players who came were paid 145 million euros. League teams with an average age of 28 and a total value of €463m have had a deficit of €132m in their transfers so far.