Gary Neville has urged the Premier League to halt player transfers to Saudi Arabia until they can ensure the competition’s integrity is not compromised.
The recent moves of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and N’Golo Kante to the Saudi Pro League, along with speculation of Lionel Messi potentially joining before his move to the US, have raised concerns.
Prominent players in their prime, such as Ruben Neves of Wolves, Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Hakim Ziyech, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Arsenal’s Thomas Partey, are also attracting interest from Saudi clubs, highlighting the league’s ambition to establish itself among the world’s top five.
Gary Neville, along with others, has questioned the implications of this potential activity.
In June, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns Newcastle United, confirmed its acquisition of four leading clubs in the country, including Al-Nassr, who signed Ronaldo in December.
While there is uncertainty regarding PIF’s stake in Chelsea’s ultimate owners, private equity firm Clearlake Capital, club sources have refuted suggestions of direct involvement.
“The Premier League should impose an immediate transfer embargo to Saudi Arabia in order to safeguard the integrity of the game,” Neville expressed to BBC Sport.
“Thorough checks should be conducted on the appropriateness of these transactions. If they pass through that scrutiny, then transfers could resume. However, I firmly believe that, at this juncture, transfers should be suspended until the ownership structure at Chelsea and any potentially improper transfer dealings are thoroughly examined.”