Saudi Pro League unveils bold new strategy led by director of football Michael Emenalo

Former Chelsea executive spearheads Saudi football revolution based on youth development and smarter player recruitment

Karim Benzema is unveiled to fans by Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad in June 2023. Reuters

After a summer that has already seen numerous high-profile signings join the Saudi Pro League, the competition’s governing body announced on Tuesday the launch of a new long-term strategy to transform football in the kingdom.

According to the SPL, the new strategy will see the league build its commercial value and harness the soaring interest in the competition to maximise revenue from broadcasting rights, while ensuring sustained growth into one of the top ten leagues in the world.

The influx of talent into the country is driven in part by a huge spending spree led by the Public Investment Fund, which had earlier acquired a majority stake in the nation’s top-four clubs; Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli.

The new SPL strategy aims to regulate and streamline this player recruitment process to ensure it continues into the next few seasons while adhering to financial fair play rules.

A programme called the “Player Acquisition Centre of Excellence” has been set up and will be led by Michael Emenalo, the former technical director at Chelsea, who has been appointed as the league’s first director of football.

Emenalo is a former left-back who represented Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup before making his mark at Stamford Bridge as a shrewd operator under Roman Abramovich, the former owner of the West London club.

During his decade-long tenure at Chelsea, Emenalo brought in talents such as Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, while also playing a role in revamping the overall recruitment and scouting structure at the club.

In his first statement after being appointed, Emenalo could not hide his excitement about the project.

“I believe this is a role that I’ve spent the last 45 years preparing for,” said the 58-year-old.

“I am intrigued by the audacity of the project and the ambition. This project has been in the making for a while. It’s not a spur-of-the-moment decision, it's well thought out. I’m impressed by the knowledge and input that’s gone into it.”

Saudi Pro League top signings so far

Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr): The transfer that started it all. The Portuguese superstar moved to the Saudi Pro League in January after his acrimonious exit from Manchester United. Ronaldo scored 14 goals in his first 16 Saudi Pro League games. AFP

Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad): The first statement signing of the summer transfer window, Ballon d'Or holder Benzema joined the Saudi champions after agreeing an exit from Real Madrid. The French striker was welcomed with a fittingly grand ceremony. Reuters

N'Golo Kante (Al Ittihad): The French midfielder soon followed Benzema to Ittihad once his Chelsea contract expired. Kante, a two-time Premier League winner and World Cup champion, adds further glamour to the Saudi Pro League. AFP

Ruben Neves (Al Hilal): By far the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history. While Ronaldo and Benzema are the bigger global names, both arrived on free transfers. Portuguese midfielder Neves shattered the transfer record by moving to Hilal from Wolves for £47 million. AP

Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal): After completing the record-breaking move for Neves, Hilal turned their attention to Koulibaly, recruiting the Senegalese centre-back for £20m. Despite a difficult season at Chelsea, Koulibaly has been one of the standout defenders of his generation. AFP

Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli): Before his long-term shoulder injury, Mendy was one of the best goalkeepers in the world, winning the Champions League with Chelsea and Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. His £16m move to Ahli can help revive his career. AFP

Jota (Al Ittihad): The Saudi champions are making major moves this summer, and the £25m acquisition of Portuguese winger Jota boosts an attack led by Benzema. PA

Marcelo Brozovic (Al Nassr): Arriving to provide support to Ronaldo at Nassr, Croatian midfielder Brozovic joined the Saudi club for £15m after another impressive season for Champions League finalists Inter Milan. AFP

Steven Gerrard (Al Ettifaq): Major arrivals are not only happening on the pitch but in the dugout. Former Rangers and Aston Villa manager Gerrard was appointed by Ettifaq and will aim to revive his career in Saudi. AFP

Roberto Firmino (Al Ahli): The former Liverpool forward left Anfield after eight successful seasons to lead the attack at Ahli. @ALAHLI_FC / Twitter

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Al Hilal): Arguably the most eye-catching deal of the summer. The 28-year-old Serbia midfielder has frequently been linked with Europe's biggest clubs but has opted to join Hilal in a €40m deal. His midfield partnership with Ruben Neves would be the envy of many European teams. Reuters

Jordan Henderson (Al Ettifaq): The former Liverpool captain is expected to wear the armband following his move from the Premier League giants. The midfielder departed Anfield after 12 years, seven major trophies and 492 appearances. Reuters

Alex Telles (Al Nassr): The Brazilian defender linked up with former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr this summer. Telles spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Sevilla, helping the Spanish club win the Europa League. He joined Nassr for a reported fee of £4 million. Getty

Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli) - Algerian winger Mahrez left Manchester City after five years at the Etihad Stadium in which he won 11 major trophies. In all, he made 236 appearances, scoring 78 goals. Reuters

Allan Saint-Maximin (Al Ahli): The French winger signed for Jeddah giants Al Ahli on a three-year contract after confirming his departure from Newcastle. During his four years on Tyneside, Saint-Maximin scored 13 goals in 124 appearances. AFP

Fabinho (Al Ittihad): An integral part of a Liverpool squad that won the Champions League and Premier League in successive seasons following his move from Monaco in 2019. Capped 29 times for his country, the Brazilian midfielder joined the Saudi Pro League champions on a three-year contract. AP

Sadio Mane (Al Nassr): After six highly successful years at Liverpool, in which he won the Premier League and Uefa Champions League titles, Mane endured a frustrating season at Bayern Munich, though he contributed to their title success. The Senegalese, 31, will be part of a fearsome attacking line up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Nassr. Getty

Malcom (Al Hilal): Not content with breaking the Saudi Pro League transfer record once, Al Hilal did so twice this summer and made Brazilian winger Malcom the most expensive player in Saudi football history. AFP

Seko Fofana (Al Nassr): A player in demand this summer after a superb season to help Lens run PSG close in Ligue 1, the Ivory Coast midfielder opted to link up with Ronaldo at Al Nassr over moves elsewhere in Europe. AC Milan had been strongly linked. AFP

Franck Kessie (Al Ahli): The Ivory Coast midfielder's time at Barcelona may not have worked out but he remains a top-level operator and adds more quality and star power to Al Ahli. Getty

Moussa Dembele (Al Ettifaq): A shrewd free transfer by Gerrard's Al Ettifaq, the French striker has moved to the Saudi Pro League side on a four-year deal and should provide the goals. AFP

Neymar (Al Hilal). The Brazilian completed his move from PSG and is one of the biggest stars in the ever-expanding Saudi Pro League. He was unveiled in front of thousands of fans in Riyadh on Saturday. Getty

Yannick Carrasco (Al Shabab). After 265 appearances across two spells at Atletico Madrid, the Belgian winger joined the Riyadh club for a reported fee of €15 million. Carrasco also spent two years in the Chinese Super League. EPA

Georginio Wijnaldum (Al Ettifaq): The Dutch midfielder enhanced the Liverpool connection at Ettifaq, joining former teammate Jordan Henderson at the Damman club coached by Reds legend Steven Gerrard. Wijnaldum, 32, has signed a three-year contract. Reuters

Gabri Veiga (Al Ahli): Widely regarded as one of the best midfield prospects in Spain, 21-year-old Veiga signed for Ahli on a three-year deal from Celta Vigo despite interest from Liverpool and Napoli. Veiga said he opted for the Saudi Pro League to "grow the game" in the kingdom. EPA

Aymeric Laporte (Al Nassr): A vital part of Manchester City's squad that clinched a treble of league, cup and Uefa Champions League in 2023, the Spaniard switched to Nassr over the summer to link up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. A fee of £23.6 million makes the 29-year-old the league's most expensive defender. Getty Images

Otavio (Al Nassr): The Portugal midfielder scored 31 goals in 283 games in all competitions for Porto after joining the team in 2014. He linked up with Riyadh-based club after Porto accepted a bid of around $65 million. AFP

Merih Demiral: (Al Ahli): The imposing Turkey centre-back boasts Sporting of Lisbon and Juventus among his previous clubs and stood out in Serie A across two seasons at Atalanta. The 25-year-old joined Ahli on a three-year contract. Getty

One of the main concerns raised as SPL clubs continue their pursuit of top talents from across Europe was the loss of development opportunities for the local players on which the national team relies in the absence of any Saudi players competing in major leagues abroad. To address this issue, the new SPL strategy features regulatory changes relating to youth players in the league.

Starting from the 2023/24 season, the minimum eligibility age to compete in the SPL has been reduced from 18 to 16, while the following season will see clubs required to register ten players under the age of 21 in their 35-man seasonal squads. Additionally, clubs are mandated to include eight “home-grown” players who are graduates of the club academies within their main roster, of whom four should be direct graduates from the club’s system.

Key among SPL’s strategic objectives is the ambition to become one of the top ten leagues in the world.

While there is no official worldwide ranking of domestic leagues, the Saudi Pro League currently sits at the top of the Asian Football Confederation's most recent Asian domestic competitions rankings, marginally ahead of Japan’s J1 League, with the caveat that this ranking only takes into account the performance of clubs from each league in Asian competitions, so it does not necessarily reflect quality across the league, especially at the bottom half.

New director of football Michael Emenalo said he is 'intrigued by the audacity and ambition' of the Saudi Pro League project. Getty

London based sports consultancy Twenty First Group has developed its own model to compare leagues, and it places the Saudi Pro League in 58th place, slightly behind the Scottish Premiership. The top ten ranking cited by SPL officials in the strategy would place the league alongside the likes of the English Football League's Championship, the Brazilian Serie A, and the Mexican Liga MX.

Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who was the first mega star to make the move to Saudi Arabia back in January, had earlier said the league can even be one of the top five worldwide within a few years.

Speaking to journalists during the team’s training camp in his native Portugal on Monday, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner doubled down on his comments, arguing the SPL is already a superior league to Major League Soccer, the North American competition where his arch-rival Lionel Messi now plies his trade for Inter Miami.

The new SPL campaign kicks-off on August 11 with Al Ahli, who should include summer signings Roberto Firmino and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, taking on newly promoted Al Hazem.

Current champions Al Ittihad, featuring the reigning Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema alongside his compatriot N’Golo Kante and former Celtic winger Jota, travel to Al Raed on the 14th, while Ronaldo’s Al Nassr face Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq on the same day. Fifa Club World Cup runners-up Al Hilal, boasting the likes of Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, are away at Abha.