Five players who could join the Saudi Pro League this summer

Cameron Smith

Updated: 15 Apr 2025 02:10 CDT
4 min read

Vinicius Junior in the Saudi Pro League — © IMAGO

The allure of Saudi Arabia has certainly diminished since a mega summer transfer window in 2023, although several high-profile stars are still set to join the richest league in football later this year.

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Mohamed Salah, however, is unlikely to be among the stars to move to the Middle East and he is now expected to sign a new contract with Liverpool.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through five players who could join the Saudi Pro League this summer.

Ederson (Man City)

Ederson was extremely close to joining the Saudi Pro League last summer, but he eventually opted to snub interest from the Middle East in order to remain at Manchester City.

However, an exit is certainly on the cards in 2025, especially as he only has one year remaining on his current contract at the Etihad Stadium.

In addition, Man City are already preparing for Ederson’s eventual departure by targeting FC Porto’s Diogo Costa and Lille’s Lucas Chevalier.

Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)

Al-Nassr are reportedly plotting an ambitious summer move for Arsenal superstar Gabriel Magalhaes.

The Brazilian has just two years left on his current Arsenal contract and although the Gunners are determined to reach an extension agreement, Gabriel is yet to pen a new deal.

As a result, Al-Nassr are hoping to finalise a shock transfer for the defender, who is said to be “open” to the prospect of moving to Saudi Arabia at some point during his career.

Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

Darwin Nunez has endured a fairly miserable spell at Liverpool, since his €85 million move from Benfica in 2022, and his time at Anfield is scheduled to end this summer.

Arne Slot’s side are eager to sell the Uruguayan in order to fund a move for a new striker, and Saudi Arabia has been touted as Nunez’s most likely next destination.

Although Nunez’s stint at Liverpool could be extended by a further year, he seems destined to leave the club this summer and given his struggles over the past few years, he may be forced to accept a move to a Saudi Pro League club.

Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)

Vinicius Junior is in talks to extend his Real Madrid contract, but rumours of a move to Saudi Arabia persist and they have shown no sign of slowing down.

Los Blancos are set to receive a €200m offer for the Brazil superstar and The Transfers Podcast understands that Real Madrid would be open to a sale this summer if a suitable bid is submitted.

Therefore, an exit could be on the cards, although Vinicius Jr could yet sign a new contract at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)

Al-Nassr lodged a shock €65m bid for Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma in January and they reportedly prepared a second offer worth €105m before being told that he wasn’t for sale.

However, the Saudi Pro League side could rekindle their interest this summer and Brighton may be more amenable to a sale during the off-season.

Mitoma is understood to be happy at the AMEX Stadium, though, so Saudi Arabian officials would need to convince him to leave the Seagulls and move to the Middle East.