Chelsea star issues 'come and get me plea' in surprising Saudi Pro League U-turn

Robin Bairner

• 25 Jan 2024 08:39 GMT
• 2 min read

Although the Saudi Pro League faces a potential exodus of stars before the end of the January transfer window, Romelu Lukaku has performed a surprising U-turn by backing the division to become one of the best in the world.

Jordan Henderson has already left for Ajax after an apparently unhappy spell in the country, while Roberto Firmino, Aymeric Laporte and Karim Benzema are among the players reportedly unhappy with their decision to move to Saudi last summer.

Laporte had comments attributed to him that suggested that many big names have regretted their decision to make the move, although he subsequently distanced himself from these claims.

Lukaku, meanwhile, turned down the chance to move to the Saudi Pro League last summer when he was being forced out of Chelsea. Despite being offered a lavish salary, he moved instead to Roma on loan.

The €113 million signing at Stamford Bridge, though, has hinted that he could see himself moving to the Middle East in the near future.

“In the next two years I see this league becoming one of the best in the world, if not the best. The clubs make a lot of efforts to bring the big players here. As a result, the teams and the footballing qualities are improving significantly,” he said after scoring the winner in a friendly match against Al-Shabab.

When asked by the interviewer if fans can expect to see Lukaku in Saudi Arabia again in the future, the 30-year-old winked and replied “Absolutely.”

Does Lukaku really want Saudi move?

Lukaku’s answers may have been driven by sponsorship reasons. Roma have an agreement with Riyadh Season, who pay them an estimated €8m per year – the size of the Belgium international’s salary.

As part of the agreement Roma have with the Saudi-based event, the club is expected to put players in a position in which they can promote the country.