ReutersKylian Mbappe
NOS Voetbal•vandaag, 07:48
Whether he goes or not, the staggering €1 billion offer for Kylian Mbappé (transfer fee and salary) shows that Saudi Arabia seems to want to cross borders again and again to realize its ambitions.
The striking thing about the possible transfer of the top footballer from Paris Saint-Germain is that the Saudi club in question, Al-Hilal, wants to sign him for only one season.
That is unusual when such gigantic amounts are involved. But it makes it clear once again that Saudi Arabia is willing to do anything to polish its image in order to close commercially lucrative deals.
Impressive row
The row of football players and trainers moving to Saudi Arabia is starting to take on impressive shapes: Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Ngolo Kanté, Roberto Firmino, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Marcelo Brozovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves, Steven Gerrard, and most recently Jordan Henderson.
Mbappé could become the next top footballer to move to Saudi Arabia’s national football league. The country previously invested in Formula 1 and golf, although the latter sport did not go without a struggle. And if it’s up to the Saudis, it won’t stop there.
They are also interested in global tennis, with the interest being mutual, and in the past, according to The Guardian, Saudi Arabia has looked to invest in American sports such as basketball (NBA), baseball (MLB) and American football (NFL).
Pro ShotsCristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, where he has been under contract since early 2023
According to sports historian Paul Reed of Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Saudi profiling urge in the field of sports is all part of a plan.
According to him, the possible organization of the World Cup is also part of a long-term strategy. The country wants to become less dependent on oil revenues in the future.
“Saudi Arabia brings in the biggest stars and therefore generates a lot of attention for the country. All that attention may not immediately pay off, but the hope in Saudi Arabia is that at some point, in addition to sports activities, deals will also be made with the country in other commercial areas,” explains Reef.
Premier League boss: ‘Don’t worry about Saudi Arabia’
In England they are not nervous about the Saudi investments for the time being, even now that an attempt is being made to incorporate Kylian Mbappé.
According to director Richard Masters of the Premier League, the strongest football competition in the world, it is a matter of patience to grow as a competition.
“It took us 30 years to get to where we are today in terms of our image, strength and value,” he told the BBC.
“I am not very concerned about this development now, but it is clear that Saudi Arabia, like everyone else, has every right to sign players.”
Saudi Arabia founded the now infamous Public Investment Fund (PIF) a few years ago, the investment company that is a major shareholder in Newcastle United and the four largest clubs in Saudi Arabia: Al Hilal, Al Ahli, Al Ittihad and Al Nassr.
“They hope to earn money with the competition at some point. You don’t earn back Mbappé’s money that quickly, but there is a plan behind it.”
“A few years ago, the government of Saudi Arabia decided to move away from oil as its main source of income. A large sovereign wealth fund was set up for this purpose, the Public Investment Fund,” says Reef.
“It contains about 700 billion on an annual basis, so all that money comes directly from the country’s treasury.”
EPAKarim Benzema in June during his presentation at Al-Ittihad
Saudi Arabia thinks it will make its own football competition stronger by attracting top football players. For example, officials of the national Pro League said that it wants to be among the top ten leagues in the world by 2030. In this way, it is hoped that in the long term it will be possible to submit a strong bid to FIFA for the organization of the World Cup football.
“Saudi Arabia is actually trying to copy Qatar by creating its own, for example academy “, says Reef. “For example, the country wants to work with many Dutch clubs, such as FC Twente and Feyenoord, to train its own players.”
2023-07-25 05:48:55
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