Probably only very few footballers are likely to turn down an offer in the incredible amount of 300 million euros transfer fee plus salary of 700 million euros. Kylian Mbappé is one of them. These figures were at least rumored, but in view of the lavishly filled coffers of the interested Saudi club Al-Hilal, such sums do not sound completely unrealistic. But the Frenchman refused and those in charge bought a few other big names instead: like Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinković-Savić and now Mbappé’s Parisian team-mate Neymar. The shopping spree cost almost 300 million euros.
Saudis shop almost a top team
After Ronaldo, Neymar is certainly the most dazzling top footballer to be drawn to the Saudi desert. Almost one top international team switched to the Saudi Pro League this season alone. Certainly not just because it is so attractive from a sporting point of view, even if Ronaldo recently teased that European football had lost a lot of quality. But in addition to his job as a goalscorer at the capital club Al-Nassr, the Portuguese is also employed as a league brand ambassador.
Check out the big names sending themselves into the desert in the photo gallery above.