On June 5 it was announced that the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) had acquired 75 percent ownership of the four leading clubs in the Kingdom: Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ahli. Since then we have seen a blitzkrieg transfer strategy aimed at securing big-name talent at the latter stages of their careers, with a hope of boosting quality and visibility of the league. Well, so far it has certainly done the latter.
Making up a significant part of Saudi’s Sport Vision for 2030, this is no short-term headline grab from KSA, however. Rather a strategy that could have significant ramifications for the future of football on a global scale. Esquire Middle East asked sports journalist and football transfer expert Ben Jacobs to help us unravel the plan coming out of the Kingdom.
PIF’s long-term transfer strategy
“We expect the plan to come in three phases. Firstly, as we’ve seen, it’s a move for box office players, likely over the age of 30. There’s rumoured to be a list of 20 elite players on the strategic list. Not all are gettable, but the ambition is there. Cristiano Ronaldo is already at Al-Nassr, of course, joined recently in the country by Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante at Al-Ittihad. Lionel Messi was a big target that didn’t work out, and apparently a delegation flew to Paris to sound out Neymar, to the same end. However, this is the starting point to build and attract others.
“Phase two is about player control. We’ve already seen Ronaldo seemingly have some say on fellow Portuguese star William Carvalho potentially joining him at Al-Nassr, and this is likely just the tip of the iceberg. The plan here isn’t just to build a league of eclectic stars, but to have them invest and be part of the process.
“Finally, phase three is about attracting younger, high-level players such as Rúben Neves, the 26-year-old Wolves and Portugal captain allegedly set to sign for Al-Hilal for approximately $60m.”
The Rúben Neves anomaly
“Rúben Neves breaks the mould a little bit, at least at this stage in the strategy. This is a player that, while perhaps not in the elite bracket just yet, is only 26. He has previously spoken about a desire to play Champions League football, and was strongly linked with Barcelona just a few months ago. There’s a big fee and big wages here. It’s a huge investment, but a successful move for a player in his prime will be celebrated by the Saudi deal makers.”
Deal makers investing in names not clubs
“There could be a hidden phase four or extra aspect that runs concurrently to all this, and it is attuned to the very nature of modern football. There’s a view that PIF could eventually target players under 25, with a view to owning and loaning them back out. This is down to the belief that young fans increasingly follow players and not clubs. Get a box office name, which benefits their brand, but loan them straight out to a Champions League club. This is all about acknowledging the changing landscape of football.”
A new model of football transfers
“While it might feel unusual for one entity to control the transfer strategy of four separate clubs, this approach can actually make transfer dealings much smoother. Take Chelsea for example. A range of their players remain subject to PIF interest (Hakim Ziyech to Al-Nassr, Kalidou Koulibaly to Al-Hilal, Edouard Mendy to Al-Ahli). Even though they’re linked with different sides, PIF’s move is effectively like going to a supermarket and walking away with a variety of goods. The ease of this is potentially appealing to the selling club.”
Saudi Pro League making moves off the pitch
“Finally, it’s not simply on the pitch that we’re seeing huge development in the Saudi Pro League. We will now see a global media strategy. Highlights packages will be sent around the world with multi-language commentary. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, a who’s who of recruitment in broadcasting, marketing and communications is taking place. It all suggests a very robust strategy that could, ultimately, end up challenging the dominance of European leagues.”
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