The 10 most expensive Saudi Pro League transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 3 Sept 2024 11:39 BST
• 6 min read

The Saudi Pro League emerged as one of the richest leagues in football in 2023, with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) pumping astronomical money into the sport in order to sign some of the world’s best players.

That strategy has worked, with Cristiano Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr in December 2022 to start a chain of events that has seen Europe lose several of its brightest talents.

Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante soon followed Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia, with the French pair both signing for Al-Ittihad.

Ronaldo, Benzema and Kante all moved to Saudi Arabia on free transfers and were rewarded with bumper salaries, but the Saudi PIF - who own Al-Nassr, Al Ahli, Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal - have also spent big on transfer fees.

Then, Neymar joined them in Saudi Arabia when he signed for Al-Hilal on a two-year deal after they spent €90m to acquire his services from PSG. In the process, Neymar became the most expensive Saudi Pro League signing ever.

Furthermore, the likes of Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Fabinho left the Premier League for the riches of Saudi Arabia and they likely won't be the last to make the move from Europe to the Middle East.

January 2024 was a quiet winter window, with no players breaking into the top 10 most expensive Saudi transfers list.

But the summer of 2024 saw many more big transfers, with the likes of Moussa Diaby, Mohamed Simakan, Ivan Toney, Marcos Leonardo, Joao Cancelo, Angelo and Steven Bergwijn going for big money.

FootballTransfers takes you through the 10 most expensive Saudi Pro League transfers of all time.

MORE: Saudi Pro League: How to watch on TV or live stream

10. Marcos Leonardo - €40m (Benfica to Al-Hilal, 2024)

Marcos Leonardo left Benfica just six months after joining them as Al-Hilal splashed out €40m for the Brazilian attacker.

Leonardo had been a major target for Arsenal during the January transfer window but instead signed for Benfica from Santos.

He scored seven goals in 14 league games for Benfica before Al-Hilal came calling in the summer of 2024.

9. Ivan Toney - €40m (Brentford to Al-Ahli, 2024)

Al-Ahli were in the market for a new star striker in the last days of the 2024 summer transfer window, and had to decide between Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney.

When Napoli demanded too much for Osimhen, Al-Ahli opted to go for Toney instead for a fee of €42m.

Toney had been put up for sale from Brentford as his contract was due to expire in 2025.

During his time at Brentford, he established himself as one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

8. Mohamed Simakan- €40m (Leipzig to Al Nassr, 2024)

Mohamed Simakan became one of the latest European stars to move to Saudi Arabia in his peak when he joined Al Nassr in 2024.

The Saudi side paid €40m for one of the most promising young defenders in Europe, with Simakan just 24 at the time of the transfer.

Simakan had shown himself as one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga during three years at Leipzig.

7. Fabinho - €46.7m (Liverpool to Al-Ittihad, 2023)

Fabinho looked on his last legs during the 2022-23 season and Liverpool snatched at the opportunity to sell the Brazilian when Al-Ittihad offered €46.7m for his services - marginally more than they paid Monaco to sign him back in 2018.

The midfielder was pivotal to Liverpool's success in the 2019 Champions League final and the 2019/20 Premier League season, with the stability he provided allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson bomb forward.

Fabinho became Al-Ittihad's record signing upon his signing (since broken) and joined Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante at the club.

6. Aleksandar Mitrovic - €52.5m (Fulham to Al-Hilal, 2023)

Aleksandar Mitrovic finally joined Al-Hilal in mid-August after weeks of speculation that he would leave Fulham.

The Serbian striker left Fulham as their sixth-highest goal-scorer in history (150), while he is their record ever departure.

The forward has a brilliant first season at Al-Hilal as he finished second top scorer in the league and led his team to the title.

5. Ruben Neves - €55m (Wolves to Al-Hilal, 2023)

Ruben Neves’ €55m move from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Al-Hilal became the most expensive transfer in Saudi Pro League history at the start of the summer of 2023, before it was smashed by first Malcom and subsequently Neymar.

The midfielder, who became the youngest ever captain in Champions League history during his time with Porto, was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, but the Blaugrana weren’t able to pay a suitable fee for his services.

A continuation of his stay at Molineux looked a possibility until Al-Hilal entered the race for his signature and coughed up a huge fee to persuade Wolves to sell.

The transfer was particularly key as Neves was the first player from Europe’s top five leagues to leave the continent in their prime to move to Saudi Arabia.

4. Malcom - €60m (Zenit to Al-Hilal, 2023)

Malcom is best known for his failed transfer to Barcelona, which lasted just 12 months and saw him score just four goals in 24 appearances.

Remarkably, Barcelona turned a €500k profit on the Brazil winger when they sold him to Zenit one year after purchasing him, with Malcom enjoying a prolific stint in Russia.

He bagged 42 goals for the club in just over 100 appearances before Al-Hilal made him the most expensive Saudi Pro League player ever. That record has since been broken.

3. Otavio - €60m (Porto to Al-Nassr, 2023)

Portugal international Otavio spent seven seasons at Porto before moving to Al-Nassr in late August 2023.

The midfielder developed into a fine player in the Primeira Liga, hitting double digits for assists in the his final four campaigns at Porto.

But like many other stars from across Europe, he decided that the Saudi Pro League offered the right challenge for the next stage of his career.

He teamed up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Sadio Mane, at Al-Nassr.

2. Moussa Diaby - €60m (Aston Villa to Al-Ittihad, 2024)

Moussa Diaby became the joint-second most expensive transfer in Saudi Arabia history when he signed for Al-Ittihad.

In the process, Diaby became Al-Ittihad's most expensive transfer of all time, and also the biggest transfer of the 2024 summer transfer window.

Diaby had only signed for Aston Villa a year earlier and he played an important role in the team qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in over 40 years.

But financial factors forced Villa to cash in on the French attacker.

1. Neymar - €90m (PSG to Al-Hilal, 2023)

The Saudi transfer record was obliterated by Neymar when Al-Hilal spent €90m to lure him away from PSG in mid-August 2023.

After a joyous period at Barcelona, Neymar endured an injury-hit career in France, and ultimately failed to win the Champions League or the Ballon d'Or - his two targets upon arriving at the Parc des Princes.

His move meant that at that time Al-Hilal had signed four of the five most expensive players in Saudi Pro League history.

Unfortunately for Neymar and Al-Hilal, he suffered a serious injury soon after joining.

The 10 most expensive Saudi Pro League signings of all time

Trending

Which football managers have been sacked this season?

Premier League managers: Full list of current bosses

Who won Ballon d’Or 2024? Final ranking and past winners