Saudi Arabia's summer spree: Looking back at the biggest football transfers this window

Some the biggest names in the world of football made the move to Saudi Arabia this summer, with the Middle East nation spending over a whopping $978m in the transfer window.

This financial football frenzy has been primarily driven by four clubs - Al Hilal, Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, and Al Nassr, all owned by the Public Investment Fund, also the owners of Newcastle United.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the league's biggest addition in its history. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner joined Al Nassr in December 2022 on a two-and-a-half-year contract with a total salary of $221m.

And then the bonanza continued in the summer with Neymar's arrival at Al Hilal, his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain costing an eye-popping $108 million. Neymar joins forces with newly signed stars like Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Karim Benzema, fresh from his Ballon d'Or win and a storied career at Real Madrid, made his way to Al Ittihad. He was accompanied by renowned players such as Fabinho, N'Golo Kante, and Celtic's Jota.

Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, after a brief stint with Bayern Munich, reunited with Ronaldo at Al Nassr. He was flanked by talents like Aymeric Laporte, Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic, and Seko Fofana.

Riyad Mahrez, part of Manchester City's treble-winning squad, made a move to Al Ahli, where he now shares the field with Roberto Firmino, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Allan Saint-Maximin, Franck Kessie, and Gabri Veiga.

Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard assumed the role of head coach at Al Ettifaq, bolstering his squad with former Liverpool midfielders Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum, along with signings like Moussa Dembele, Jack Hendry, and Demarai Gray.

This summer, Saudi Arabia's football landscape transformed into a playground for some of the world's greatest talents, reshaping the global football map.

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