13 July 2023 , 14:01
787
0
The Saudi Pro League has made waves ever since Cristiano Ronaldo was tempted to join Al Nassr in January after leaving Manchester United.
As one of the best players in the history of the sport, Ronaldo was a huge signing for Saudi football. Since then, a number of other big names have joined Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia with even Lionel Messi heavily linked with a switch to Al-Hilal after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired.
Although Messi ultimately opted to join MLS side Inter Miami instead, a host of other top European footballers have made the switch. Here, Mirror Football attempts to pick an all-star XI from the Saudi Pro League.
In goal we have Edouard Mendy , who is one of several Chelsea players to have joined a Saudi club this summer. Mendy, who was in goal when Chelsea won the 2021 Champions League final, joined Al Ahli for around £16m last month having lost his spot as number one to Kepa Arrizabalaga.
One of Mendy's former Chelsea teammates lines up in defence, with Kalidou Koulibaly at centre-back after he joined Al-Hilal for around £20m having spent just one season at Stamford Bridge. He is partnered by former West Brom star Ahmed Hegazy .
Man Utd lose seven players and sign three as January transfer window closes
Hegazy spent three years at the Hawthorns before joining Al-Ittihad in 2020, initially on loan, where he helped them win the league last season. The versatile Ezgjan Alioski is at left-back, having joined Al Ahli in 2021 after failing to agree terms on a contract extension with Leeds.
Saud Abdulhamid is the only Saudi international to make the side as he completes the back four, having helped Al Hilal win the league last season. So the backline might not be the strongest, but this is where the team really starts to take shape.
A host of big-name stars are tipped to join the Saudi league in the coming weeksN'Golo Kante is the holding midfielder, having joined Al-Ittihad this summer after seven trophy-laden seasons at Chelsea, while either side of him are Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic . While it can be argued that Kante is perhaps past his peak after injuries limited him to just seven Premier League appearances last season, both Neves and Milinkovic-Savic are in their prime at 26 and 28 respectively.
Neves, who had been tipped for a move to a top European side this summer, signed for Al-Hilal from Wolves for a record fee of £47m while Milinkovic-Savic also joined Al-Hilal from Lazio for a reported £34m.
Up front, Cristiano Ronaldo is partnered by his former Real Madrid strike partner Karim Benzma, after the current Ballon d'Or holder joined Al-Ittihad. Roberto Firmino slots in just behind them, having made the switch to Al-Ahli after deciding not to extend his contract with Liverpool.
Saudi Pro League best XI: Mendy; Alioski, Koulibaly, Hegazy, Abdulhamid; Milinkovic-Savic, Kante, Neves; Ronaldo, Firmino, Benzema.