July 25 – Premier League chief executive Richard Masters (pictured) has responded to Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the game by saying he “wouldn’t be too concerned at the moment” about the situation.
The Saudi Pro League made headlines in January with the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, and followed that up with a string of other big-name arrivals including Karim Benzema, with Al Hilal most recently tabling a world record €300 million bid for Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe.
Masters acknowledged the aggressive moves being made by the Saudi Pro League.
“Something new is obviously happening,” he told the BBC. “The Saudi Pro League have stated they want to be a top ten league by 2030. They are investing in players and managers to try to raise the profile of the league and clubs.
“I wouldn’t be too concerned at the moment but, obviously, Saudi Arabian clubs have as much right to purchase players as any other league does.”
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