January 20, (THEWILL) – A number of high-profile footballers, who made big-money moves to Saudi Arabian clubs in 2023, have privately expressed dissatisfaction with life in the Gulf nation, according to Spanish media reports.
Speaking to a reporter recently, Al Nassr defender Aymeric Laporte, who joined the Riyadh-based club from Manchester City last year, in a £23.6 million deal, said he is aware of multiple players who are unhappy with their situations in Saudi Arabia and warned officials that changes need to be made quickly before top talents consider leaving their Middle Eastern clubs prematurely.
“Its a major change compared to playing in Europe and they haven’t made things easy for us,” Laporte told the journalist. “In fact, there are lots of players who are dissatisfied.” Laporte suggested that Saudi clubs and officials may not be fully prepapred for the level of seriousness and professionalism expected by players who built careers across Europe’s top leagues. According to the French centre-back, Saudi officials make promises to attract big names that they later fail to fulfill.
While Laporte’s own club Al Nassr treats him well, he says it’s “not enough for my taste.” He pointed to fuller support structures European clubs provide. The apparent warning from the veteran footballer indicates that officials in the rising Gulf leagues may need to improve conditions and operations to prevent a potential exodus of their expensive foreign star signings back to better-run European teams.
Other high-profile players who are thinking of following Jordan Henderson, who recently returned to Europe with Ajax include ex-Liverpool man Roberto Firmino. The next few transfer windows could prove a pivotal test case for the recent drive to turn Saudi Arabia into a football power by luring some of the world’s best talent with massive salary offers. Laporte’s remarks suggest they will have to deliver better experiences for those global stars too if they want them to stay long term.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
