Five players who could leave Saudi Arabia this summer

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 12 Aug 2024 18:31 BST
• 8 min read

The Saudi Pro League emerged with briefcases full of cash last summer as they convinced dozens of football’s biggest stars to leave Europe for the Middle East.

Some of the sport’s most high-profile names opted to move to Saudi Arabia due to the enormous financial reward for doing so, and the richest league in world football is expected to spend a similar amount of money this year.

However, many stars may look to leave the Saudi Pro League in order to return to the European games. Jordan Henderson was the first, joining Ajax in January, and several others are expected to follow suit this summer.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through five players who could leave Saudi Arabia this summer.

READ MORE: Five players who could leave Chelsea this summer

N'Golo Kante (Al-Ittihad)

Many thought N'Golo Kante's career was effectively over when he joined Al-Ittihad on a free transfer from Chelsea.

However, the 33-year-old received a surprise call-up to France's Euro 2024 squad and starred at the tournament in Germany, being one of his country's standout performers.

West Ham subsequently attempted to bring him back to the Premier League, though talk of this transfer has cooled in recent weeks.

READ MORE: Five players who could leave Arsenal this summer

Roberto Firmino (Al-Ahli)

Liverpool legend Roberto Firmino left Anfield on a free transfer last summer and his time in Saudi Arabia has been a disappointment from a personal perspective.

He hasn’t been clinical at all, and while he has frequently worn the captain’s armband at Al-Ahli, a return to Europe has been touted as a possibility.

Firmino is only 32 years old and would still be a useful squad player for any top European side, which could lead to a move.

Aymeric Laporte (Al-Nassr)

It came as a shock when Aymeric Laporte decided to swap treble-winning Man City for Al-Nassr in 2023.

The Frenchman failed to achieve any tangible success in his first season as a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo and publically slammed the Saudi Pro League in January.

He has been linked with a return to Spain, with Atletico Madrid and former side Athletic Club said to be keen.

Jota (Al-Ittihad)

Jota was sublime at Celtic, but his move to Saudi Arabia couldn’t have gone worse. He was excluded from their Saudi Pro League squad after the Nuno Espirito Santo opted against registering him as a foreign player, with the limit capped at eight.

He was reintroduced into the fold by Marcelo Gallardo, who has since departed too, but Jota could look to end his Saudi nightmare by returning to Europe before the end of the window.

Seko Fofana (Al-Nassr)

Seko Fofana was a legend at RC Lens, but he left the club less than a year after a packed-out crowd watched him sign a contract extension at their stadium.

After six months at Al-Nassr, he was loaned to Al-Ettifaq in January, suggesting his long-term future may not be in Saudi Arabia.

He is good enough to make a difference in Europe and he clearly isn’t wanted by Al-Nassr, so an exit could be on the cards.