The Saudi Pro League’s top January transfer targets: Mohamed Salah, Luka Modric

Omid Basir– There is no end in sight to the spending spree that stunned the football world this year, with more big names set to move to the Middle East in 2024

It turned out that Cristiano Ronaldo was just the start. Saudi Arabian football made waves earlier this year when Al-Nassr signed the five-time Ballon d’Or winner – but it was nothing compared to the tidal wave generated by a £700 million ($870m) summer spending spree that saw the likes of Karim Benzema and Neymar join Ronaldo in the Middle East.

With Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) both taking over and providing huge financial backing to four of the country’s biggest clubs – Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad – the scale of the project became abundantly clear.

Michael Emenalo, the Saudi Pro League’s director of football, is not expecting the January transfer window to be “very busy”, arguing that most of the competition’s teams now “have what they need”. However, the former Chelsea technical director admitted that any attempts to make “additions of the highest level” will be fully supported.

Casemiro:
Last summer, the idea of Manchester United selling Casemiro would have been inconceivable. The Brazil international was coming off the back of a fantastic debut season in England, having had a transformative effect on Erik ten Hag’s team following his shock arrival from Real Madrid.

Many United players are struggling this term, which hasn’t helped the defensive midfielder’s cause, but time appears to have caught up with the 31-year-old, who is being overrun with alarming ease and regularity these days.

Hardly surprising, then, there is mounting speculation of a winter-window move to Saudi Arabia, which would appear to be mutually beneficial for everyone involved. Casemiro has nothing left to prove at this level, while United could clearly do with a straightforward sale after struggling to clear dead wood last summer.

Bruno Fernandes:
Could the PIF really sign the current Manchester United captain? It seems improbable – for now at least. Bruno may be regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world but he’s not yet won any major honours since arriving at Old Trafford (unless you count the League Cup!). It’s, therefore, hard to envisage him leaving ‘The Theatre of Dreams’ without having achieved any of his own.

Still, it has been claimed that Bruno is the PIF’s next big transfer target and there’s no denying that Fernandes has cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the past three months. His captaincy credentials have also been repeatedly questioned and he might well decide that his hopes of winning titles would be best served by moving elsewhere.

However, it would be a huge shock if he decided to leave – and for Saudi Arabia, in particular – during the January window. It’s hard to see Bruno making such a monumental call on his future until the end of the season.

Anthony Martial:
It’s staggering to think that Anthony Martial is still at Manchester United, given he’s scored just 11 Premier League goals in the past three years. His time at Old Trafford is obviously drawing to a close, with Martial’s contract up at the end of the season, but he could easily depart before then.

United would obviously jump at the chance to make any money on a striker who has started just two league games this season and failed to score once. Martial is still only 27, he may feel that he could yet prove himself at the highest level, but it’s hard to see even a mid-tier team taking a risk on him in light of how poorly he performed during his loan spell at Sevilla in 2022. A switch to Saudi Arabia makes an awful lot of sense.

Kylian Mbappe:

For a short time, it actually appeared as if Kylian Mbappe might move to Saudi Arabia. However, while Paris Saint-Germain accepted a €300m (£260m/$330m) bidfrom Al-Hilal last July, the forward had no intention of even discussing terms over a possible transfer.

That’s probably still the case but it would not be a surprise to see Al-Hilal – or one of their fellow Pro League teams – try again in January. After all, PSG’s need to sell Mbappe is more pressing than ever before, with the Ligue 1 champions now facing up to the grim reality of losing the world’s most valuable footballer for nothing when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The fact remains, though, that Mbappe is holding all the cards here. He’s free to start talking with other clubs from January 1 – and all of Europe’s elite will be tempted by taking the World Cup winner on a free transfer next summer, even accounting for his colossal wage demands. So, if the 24-year-old doesn’t finally move to Real Madrid, expect him to end up at one of the Premier League’s powerhouses…

Luka Modric:
Luka Modric signed a one-year contract extension last summer but there is no guarantee that the Croat will see out the season at the Santiago Bernabeu. The midfielder’s agent has already admitted that his client is open to a January move.

“This summer there was interest [from Saudi clubs] in Modric with the aim of signing him,” Borja Couce told Shoot last week. “The player has several offers, from a club from the capital and another club. Modric is currently thinking about Real Madrid but the idea of him moving to the Saudi Pro League is possible if the offer is suitable.”

The ball is very much in PIF’s hands now…

Thomas Partey:
It appeared as if Thomas Partey’s days in north London were numbered after Arsenal spent big on Declan Rice last summer. It was even reported in Italy that the Ghanaian had agreed to join Juventus despite interest from Saudi Arabia, with Partey supposedly keen to continue his career in Europe.

As it was, Partey ended up staying at the Emirates, but speculation surrounding his future hasn’t abated over the past few months. The 30-year-old has endured an injury-hit campaign to date and even when he has featured, Mikel Arteta has often used him as a makeshift right-back.

If Partey does decide to move on in January – and it’s a serious possibility given Arsenal’s apparent interest in signing another midfielder – Turin remains a possible destination, perhaps on loan. But Saudi Arabia may have become a more appealing proposition for a player who is really starting to struggle for form and fitness.

Richarlison:
Richarlison has suffered from both mental and physical issues since joining Tottenham from Everton in the summer of 2022. The Brazilian has been seeing more game time this season under Ange Postecoglou but he’s still only managed one Premier League goal in 10 Premier League appearances, while the use of Son Heung-min as a striker has also resulted in Richarlison being moved out to the flank.

So, while Spurs might be reluctant to weaken an already over-stretched squad midway through a season in which a top-four finish is a realistic target – Daniel Levy would definitely find it difficult to turn down any offer from a Saudi Arabian side that would see him recoup a significant chunk of the £60m ($75m) he wasted on Richarlison just under 18 months ago.

Mohamed Salah:
The dream signing as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned: Mohamed Salah isn’t just a Liverpool legend, he’s an idol for Muslims all across the world. Unlike many of the other big names now playing their trade in the Pro League, the winger is also very much still at the absolute peak of his powers – as he’s proving by once again tearing up the Premier League this season.

However, Liverpool refused to sell Salah to Al-Ittihad for a staggering £150m ($187m) just before the close of the summer transfer window because they didn’t want to ruin their hopes of securing a return to the Champions League – and nothing has changed in that regard.

If anything, the Reds’ resolve to hold onto their most prolific player will have only strengthened in the interim, with Salah spearheading a possible title challenge. So, while the latest reports suggest that the PIF will return with another bid in January, it’s likely that the Pro League will have to wait until the summer for the dream to become a reality.

Jadon Sancho:
On September 14, Manchester United announced that Jadon Sancho would train “away from the first team group pending resolution of a squad discipline issue”. More than two months later, the winger remains in exile for effectively accusing Erik ten Hag of making him a “scapegoat” for the team’s struggles.

A January exit, therefore, seems inevitable for Sancho, who has reportedly refused to apologise for his comments. Talk of a return to Borussia Dortmund has gone cold but Juventus are said to be interested, while it’s also likely that several Premier League sides would be willing to take a gamble on the former England international, who is still only 23.

However, the most lucrative offer – both for Sancho and United – is almost certain to arrive from Saudi Arabia, so, even though the player was reluctant to move to the Pro League during the summer, it simply cannot be ruled out this time around.

Raphael Varane:
Given the dreadful state of Manchester United’s defence, Raphael Varane’s slide down the pecking order at Old Trafford is one of the more surprising developments of the season so far. Even Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire are being picked ahead of him! Consequently, it’s now entirely possible that the Frenchman could leave during the January transfer window if a decent offer arrives for the centre-back.

Varane certainly won’t be short of suitors but he looks like a perfect signing for a PIF-backed club, given he’s a high-profile 30-year-old who has already lifted pretty much every major trophy in both club and international football. One final, massive payday could well appeal to the World Cup winner.