The Saudi Pro League has been attracting stars from around the world, with several talented European players already joining Saudi clubs since Cristiano Ronaldo’s initial signing with Al-Nassr. In response to this trend, many players have expressed their views on the changing landscape of European football.
Some time ago, Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos shared his opinion by posting “Embarrassing” in response to a tweet detailing the transfer of talented La Liga youngster Gabri Viega to Al Ahli. Kroos faced whistles from Saudi fans during the recently concluded Supercopa Final against Barcelona, which Real Madrid won 4-1. Another player, Roma striker Romelu Lukaku, has recently praised the Saudi revolution in football.
Lukaku discusses SPL potential
Currently in Saudi Arabia for Roma club friendly match against Al-Shadab which they won 2-1 with Lukaku scoring a goal, Romeu Lukaku has been reported to praise Saudi Pro League in an interview.
According Fabrizio Romano, Lukaku said that the Saudi Pro League is on track to become one of the best leagues within two years. He acknowledged the significant efforts being made to attract ‘BIG’ players, thereby transforming the league into one of the most competitive and desirable competitions to participate in.
“In the next two years I see Saudi Pro 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. They are improving a lot. It could be the best competition in the world.”
The former Inter Milan striker has added fuel to the existing rumors linking him to Saudi clubs at the end of this season. Despite the striker’s recent seasons not going as well, there is considerable interest from Saudi clubs in the potential of the player.
Lukaku linked with big-money Saudi move
Following his statements in an interview after the match against Al-Shadab, the entire footballing world seems to have accepted that the striker, currently on loan at AS Roma, is poised to sign for a Saudi club in the summer of this year. Some sources even indicate a potential move to join Al-Nassr FC, playing alongside stars like CR7, Marcelo Brozovic, and Sadio Mane.
Another source has suggested that Al-Hilal, who are currently at the top of SPL, might reignite their interest in him and are looking to offer wages around €30 million per season to the striker in the process of finding competition for Aleksandar Mitrovic in the frontline. They were after signing him last season as well but failed to do so then.
Although Chelsea has set a high asking price for the Belgian striker, with sources suggesting it’s nearly around €43 million to offset their losses, financial constraints have never been an issue for any Saudi club.
After a fantastic season at Inter Milan, Lukaku signed for Chelsea for nearly €100 million. However, the player was unable to replicate his previous year’s performance and eventually fell out of terms with then Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel. This led to his loan back to the Italian side the very next season.
This season, Lukaku, who is not in the plans of the new Chelsea manager Pochettino, was loaned to another Italian side, AS Roma. He has performed decently, scoring 15 goals and providing 2 assists in 26 matches for the club. However, his transfer fee could be too substantial for Roma to spend on a single player.
It increasingly appears that Romelu Lukaku will not be signed permanently by the Italian side, and with Chelsea not interested in retaining him, the interest from Saudi clubs could once again prove beneficial for the Blues, as it has in the past.
Do you think that the Belgian is interested in playing in the Saudi Pro League? Let us know your comments below.
