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sports1d ago
Saudi clubs have a new strategy: buy up France’s best young footballers
- Saudi Pro League clubs are targeting France’s under-21 talent as a new core strategy, buying young prospects from Ligue 1 clubs.
- Monaco and other Ligue 1 clubs have sold young players like George Ilenikhena to Saudi clubs for significant fees to stay afloat financially.
- Rennes sold Mohamed Kader Meité to Al-Hilal in January for €30m, illustrating the transfer market pivot.
- The Saudi strategy extends beyond salaries, combining big transfers with a model to develop talent for potential returns to Europe.
- Clubs describe France as the world’s biggest hotbed of talent, fueling Saudi demands for young French players.
- The pattern follows a shift away from Europe-only development toward cross-border talent pipelines tied to Saudi funding.
- Football executives acknowledge the new Saudi market entry as a stabilizing, though controversial, financial development for Ligue 1 clubs.
- The transfers include multiple players and clubs, with several moves noted in the January window and ongoing negotiations.
- Agents describe the move as offering guaranteed playing time and career progression, beyond mere salaries.
- Saudi clubs aim to balance immediate profits with a pathway back to European football for these players.
- The article frames the strategy as a response to declining French broadcast revenues and new league structures.
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