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Saudi Summer Transfer Window: A Futuristic Idea Meets Reality
The Saudi summer transfer window has come to a close, revealing a mixed response to the idea of bringing in foreign professional players born in 2003 or older. Only three clubs, Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Nasr, and Al-Akhdoud, signed two players each, while 10 clubs completed their contracts with one player, and five clubs failed to make any deals in this category.
The Saudi Football Federation had announced that the list of teams participating in the Saudi Professional League would be reduced from 30 players to 25 players in the new season, including 10 foreign professional players, with eight players participating in the list of matches excluding the King’s Cup and Super Cup.
Clubs’ Transfer Activity
Al-Hilal, the Saudi League title holders, signed a contract with 2003-born Brazilian player Marcos Leonardo from the Portuguese ranks of Benfica. Al-Nasr, the current runner-up, completed its deal with the Brazilian youth duo, Wesley Teixeira and Angelo Gabriel, coming from the English ranks of Chelsea.
Al-Ahly followed in Al-Hilal’s footsteps, signing Alexander Gomez from the Brazilian side Fluminense. Al-Taoun, preparing for a new Asian participation, was satisfied with a single contract in the category of born players, signing Venezuelan Rene Rivas from the Venezuelan team Caracas.
Al-Ittihad club seemed to follow the same pattern, signing a single contract with Albanian player Mario Mitai from the Russian Lokomotiv team on loan. However, Al-Ittihad has also signed other names in the fledgling players department, including Venezuelan Raint Ortega and Colombian Ricardo Caraballo, who will be loaned to the Jeddah club.
Other clubs, such as Al-Shabaab, Al-Fayha, Al-Wahda, and Al-Riyadh, also completed their signings, with Al-Shabaab signing Brazilian defender Robert Lennon, Al-Fayha signing Venezuelan youngster Aldi Javier Contreras, Al-Wahda signing Iraqi talent Youssef Al-Amin, and Al-Riyadh signing young Scottish goalkeeper Vincent Angelini.
Young Talent on the Rise
The summer transfer window saw the arrival of 16 new players from the youth ranks out of the 36 slots available to clubs. This trend suggests that Saudi clubs are investing in young talent, with many of these players expected to make a significant impact in the upcoming season.
Clubs like Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Akhdoud have been active in signing young players, with Al-Qadisiyah signing four names under the age of 23, including Spanish defender Jimenez, Argentine star Ike Fernandez, Spanish star Iker Almina, and Alejandro Vargas.
As the new season approaches, it will be interesting to see how these young players perform and contribute to their respective teams’ success.
