By Francis Onyach - Reporter
UK, August 27, 2026 - The Saudi Pro League was once viewed largely as a destination for footballers approaching the final stages of their careers. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kanté and Sadio Mané helped establish the league's global profile, but the latest transfer window suggests something more significant is happening.
Saudi Arabia is no longer simply attracting aging superstars. It is increasingly convincing players in their prime, and Ollie Watkins could be the latest example.
According to the latest reports, Aston Villa have agreed to sell Watkins to Al Hilal for a package worth around €58.4 million plus €2 million in add-ons. The 30-year-old England striker is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to complete the move.
Watkins' departure is significant because he is leaving while still capable of performing at the highest level of European football. He scored 108 goals in 278 appearances for Villa after joining from Brentford in 2020 and was an important part of the club's rise under Unai Emery.
But Watkins is not an isolated case.
Reijnders: From Manchester City to Saudi Arabia
Perhaps the clearest indication that the Saudi project has changed is Tijjani Reijnders.
The Netherlands international joined Al Qadsiah from Manchester City this summer on a five-year contract. He was only 28 and had spent the previous season playing regularly for one of Europe's biggest clubs, making 47 appearances and contributing to seven goals.
This is not a player simply looking for a final payday.
Reijnders himself pointed to Al Qadsiah's ambition, saying he wanted to help the club reach the highest level. That matters because the Saudi league increasingly wants players who can become the foundation of competitive teams rather than merely famous names.
Summerville is another warning sign#
Then there is Crysencio Summerville.
The Dutch winger is only 24 and moved from West Ham to Al Hilal on a four-year contract. He had spent the previous two seasons in the Premier League and even represented the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup, scoring against Japan and Sweden.
That transfer is arguably more significant than the arrival of another veteran superstar.
Summerville should, theoretically, be entering his prime years in European football.
Instead, his next chapter is in Saudi Arabia.
And now Al Hilal are reportedly adding Watkins to that project.
The potential move of Gabriel Martinelli would push this trend even further.
Al Hilal have been negotiating with Arsenal over the Brazilian winger, who has reportedly become open to the possibility of moving to Saudi Arabia. Arsenal are understood to value him at around £60 million, although as of the latest reports there was still no final agreement.
Martinelli is only 25.
If the transfer happens, Saudi Arabia will have successfully attracted another player who should theoretically be entering the peak years of his career.
That is the real story here.
It would be unfair to discuss the Saudi movement without acknowledging the players who started it.
Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr in 2023 was the watershed moment. Benzema followed at Al Ittihad, while Kanté, Mané, Riyad Mahrez, Neymar, Roberto Firmino and others also moved to Saudi clubs.
The 2025/26 window continued the trend, with Al Nassr signing Kingsley Coman from Bayern Munich and João Félix from Chelsea, while Al Hilal brought in players including Darwin Núñez and Theo Hernández.
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And Benzema himself eventually moved from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal in February 2026, signing a 1.5 year contract after winning the Saudi league's Player of the Season award.
These transfers demonstrate that Saudi clubs are not merely chasing household names.
They are building serious squads.
For European football, this should be concerning.
The traditional assumption was that Saudi Arabia could attract players once they had achieved everything in Europe.
That assumption is becoming outdated.
Reijnders, Summerville and potentially Martinelli represent players who still have significant European careers ahead of them. Watkins is also leaving while still a proven Premier League striker.
And the financial incentive is obvious.
Saudi clubs can offer enormous salaries while also providing players with the opportunity to become central figures in ambitious projects.
For a player who might otherwise be one of several important squad members at a European giant, Saudi Arabia can offer the status of the star.
Is this good or bad for football#
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Personally, I don't think the Saudi Pro League should be dismissed as a retirement league anymore.
That label is becoming increasingly inaccurate.
The league is deliberately moving towards a different model: young and prime-age players mixed with established global stars and substantial domestic investment.
The signing of Summerville is particularly revealing. He is 24. Reijnders is 28. Martinelli is 25 if he eventually makes the move. Watkins is 30.
These are not farewell transfers.
They are career decisions.
And that is why Watkins' imminent move matters beyond Aston Villa.
He may be the latest European star to choose Saudi Arabia, but increasingly, he is part of a much bigger movement.
The Saudi Pro League is no longer asking, "Which ageing superstar can we attract next?"
It is asking a much more ambitious question:
Which players entering their prime can we convince to build the next era of Saudi football?"
If the likes of Watkins, Reijnders, Summerville and potentially Martinelli continue choosing Saudi Arabia, European football may eventually have to confront an uncomfortable reality: the balance of football's financial power is shifting, and Saudi Arabia is no longer waiting for Europe's stars to grow old before making its move.