“When Manchester United’s football director John Murtough arrived in Saudi Arabia at the end of last year, he had only one thing on his mind. United were keen to offload some of the big earners in their squad — including Casemiro, Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial — and Murtough, who was joined by Matt Hargreaves, their lead transfer negotiator, was eager to forge connections in the belief that Saudi clubs would be willing buyers. …”
The Athletic

“When Jordan Henderson sat down with The Athletic in September, five weeks into his Saudi Arabian adventure, he was effusive about the experience. … But he is not the first expat to find that the honeymoon period can wear off fairly quickly. The first rumours of disenchantment surfaced in early November: that he and his family were finding it hard to adapt to life in Saudi Arabia (or indeed across the border in Bahrain, where his family are living) and that, professionally, he was struggling with the drop in standard. …”
The Athletic

“Outside a stadium in Riyadh stands Abdullah in a white thob, his team’s flag in his hands, a grin on his face. ‘We will be one day like England,’ he says. ‘We will have the big stars.’ He is talking about the latest news from the rampant Saudi Pro League: Neymar, who still holds the record as the most expensive footballer ever, has signed for Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain. Regardless of which team they support, Saudis are revelling in the kingdom’s new role in global football. …”
The Athletic

Ettifaq’s supporters light flares in the stands during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Ettifaq at the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam on May 27, 2023.
“Deals done, lights up, Saudi Pro League here we go! The world’s second most disruptive sporting competition (after the other Saudi one, in golf) got under way in Jeddah on Friday night where Al-Ahli’s pack of imported stars managed to haul themselves over the line against Al-Hazm, a team of plucky journeymen from the Arabian sticks. A hat-trick for Roberto Firmino decided the game and both he and Riyad Mahrez looked a class above the rest of the players on display. For other big name signings, say Édouard Mendy and Allan Saint-Maximin, the word sketchy sprang to mind. …”
Guardian