Saudi Pro League considering raising number of foreign player slots from next season: Report

Saudi Pro League clubs can register eight players

Saudi Pro League is becoming one of the biggest leagues in Asia and they are thinking about taking this league full of superstars to another level.

According to reports, the Saudi Pro League will consider raising the number of foreign players allowed in squads next season to boost the competition’s brand and give the new transfer superpower increased strength in the market.

Clubs in the league are currently allowed to register eight non-Saudi players to their squads for the season, with the 18 clubs filling their quota as they splurged on new signings on the back of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar arriving in the country. 

But it is understood there have been talks among clubs, which would need to be ratified, to raise the number of foreigners to 10, which would give flexibility in the market when SPL clubs continue to recruit.

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Some outfits such as Al-Ahli have filled their eight slots with internationals, with Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Allan Saint-Maximin, Franck Kessié, Édouard Mendy, Roger Ibañez, Gabriel Veiga and Merih Demiral at the disposal of the champions. Ronaldo, meanwhile, has Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte as team-mates at Al-Nassr.

Increasing the number of foreigners would mean shipping players out would be less of an issue when new arrivals head to the Saudi Pro League. In the case of Ronaldo’s arrival, Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar was sold to Besiktas to make way for the Portugal forward.

Saudi League’s expenditure has seen the competition climb into the top five leagues for spending during the summer window, joining the Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and Serie A. It meant Spanish top-flight LaLiga dropping out of the top five.

An increase in the number of foreign players will automatically bring in more competition and help in the growth of the league.

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