A year ago, it appeared as though a famous player was constantly traveling to Jeddah, Riyadh, and other places.
Over £700 million was spent on players who joined Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East, including Riyad Mahrez, Neymar, and Karim Benzema.
Though there has been a general dip in the global transfer market, if there were anticipation that this summer would be as free-spending as the previous, they have not yet been realized.
According to Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport and geopolitical economy at the Skema Business School in Paris, “it has been a relatively quiet summer across global football,” he told Sport.
Chadwick puts it down to “a combination of harsh economic conditions, the late finishing of continental national team tournaments, and clubs across various territories trying to navigate local financial regulations” .
There hasn’t been a game-changing transfer in Saudi Arabia this summer, despite connections to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Ivan Toney, a striker for Brentford and England, is the most recent target after the Bees turned down a £35 million offer for the 28-year-old from Al-Ahli last week.
