Why Kylian Mbappe joining Saudi side Al Hilal would change football

Cristiano Ronaldo proved the catalyst, immediately putting the Saudi Pro League on the map by moving to Al-Nassr in January. Karim Benzema then confirmed the competition’s appeal to ageing superstars with his summer transfer to Al-Ittihad. Now, though, Kylian Mbappe might just be about to about to bring the precious credibility that Saudi Arabia is so desperately craving.

On Sunday evening, it was claimed that the France international had been offered €200 million (£173m/$222m) to join Al-Hilal. Even just a couple of months ago, such a report would have been immediately dismissed as nonsensical.

There mere idea that Mbappe would even consider leaving Europe for Saudi Arabia would have seemed laughable. Not anymore, though – and for a couple of key reasons.

PSG in a pickle

Firstly, Paris Saint-Germain are now willing to sell Mbappe, who has very publicly confirmed that he has no intention of staying at Parc des Princes beyond the end of next season. He signed a new deal only last year, but has already informed his employers that he will not be taking up the option to extend the contract beyond 2024, putting PSG in a real pickle.

They obviously do not want to lose “the cornerstone” of their entire project, but club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has admitted that there is simply no chance of them allowing Mbappe to leave on a free transfer. They fought so hard to keep their star forward away from Real Madrid – they simply will not allow him to move to Santiago Bernabeu for nothing next summer.

So, the confirmed €300m (£259m/$352m) offer from Saudi Arabia gives PSG plenty to think about, even if it wouldn’t necessarily keep Mbappe out of Madrid’s clutches. According to Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri, Al-Hilal are, in their desperation to land Mbappe, willing to insert a buy-out clause in his contract that only Madrid would be able to activate in 2024.

Mbappe, then, might actually be tempted by this proposed transfer. He would still get to complete his dream move to Madrid, and after just one, historically well-paid season in Saudi Arabia.

But even the prospect of plying his trade in the Pro League should no longer feel quite so unattractive to Mbappe – or anyone else for that matter. The perception of the competition has undergone quite the transformation in the past few weeks.



The arrival of Benzema has obviously been a major factor. He may be 35 years of age, but he was still performing at an extremely high level, as he proved by scoring 31 times in 43 appearances for Madrid last season.

So, Benzema’s decision to move to Saudi Arabia stunned everyone in the football world – maybe even Carlo Ancelotti most of all. The Italian was in no doubt that the Frenchman had another great season in him at the highest level and hasn’t even tried to hide his disappointment at losing ‘King Karim’.

However, while the acquisition of the reigning Ballon d’Or holder was undeniably a major boon for the brand, the Pro League has since made other, arguably more meaningful deals.

The acquisition of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Saudi Arabia is offering the kind of ‘life-changing’ money that makes moral considerations utterly irrelevant – even for a character like Henderson, who has spoken out on inequality and social injustice in the past, and long been championed as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community.

European powers losing out

From a footballing perspective, though, the signings of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Marcelo Brozovic are far more significant, even if Henderson showed at the 2022 World Cup that he can still mix it with the best.

Brozovic is still only 30 and was Inter’s best player in the Champions League final, against Manchester City in June. He was wanted by Barcelona and yet has ended up at Al-Nassr – which tells you so much about the monumental shift in economic power that we are witnessing right now. Some of Europe’s traditional super-powers were so badly run for so long that they are powerless to prevent transfer targets moving to the Middle East.

Indeed, it was assumed that Milinkovic-Savic would eventually end up at Juventus, having been linked with the Old Lady for several consecutive seasons. However, the Bianconeri are effectively being forced to invest in youth while shopping in the bargain basement, having missed out on qualification for next season’s Champions League due to a Serie A points deduction related to financial irregularities.

Consequently, Milinkovic-Savic has left Lazio for Al-Hilal – a truly staggering development. The Serbia international is just 28. He is not past his prime; he is just entering it. And it’s not as if he has already done – and won – it all, like Ronaldo, Benzema, N’Golo Kante or even Roberto Firmino. He’s not even played regular Champions League football throughout his career, something that was on offer had he stayed at Lazio. It was also presumed that if he did depart, it would be for an elite European side, given past links with Manchester United and Madrid.

Instead, he has accepted an offer to spend his peak years in Saudi Arabia – another clear indicator of the country’s pulling power.

Mbappe's presence would be priceless

Signing Mbappe, though, would propel the Pro League into another stratosphere. Even if he were to arrive for just one season, the winger would add a level of legitimacy to the competition that nobody – not even Ronaldo or Benzema – could match. Because Mbappe isn’t just a superstar, after all, he’s also young, with his very best years still ahead of him.

There is no more valuable player in the world right now, so it’s no surprise that Saudi Arabia might be willing to pay a ridiculous amount of money to sign Mbappe – because, as far as the Pro League is concerned, his mere presence would be priceless.

It wouldn't just be the most expensive transfer of all time - it would also be the most shocking - and the fact that it now feels feasible tells you everything you need to know about how Saudi Arabia has already changed the game.