Commentary: Singapore and Asia can’t be passive observers as Saudi Arabia reshapes football

SEOUL: Saudi Arabia is spending huge amounts of money in a bid to become a sporting superpower, leaving the world wondering what will happen next. For Singapore and the rest of Asia, it is an opportunity as much as a problem.

At the end of December 2022, Riyadh club Al-Nassr announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon D’Or winner who is regarded as one of the greatest players in football. The deal is said to be worth more than €400 million (US$437 million).

In June, newly crowned Saudi league champions Al-Ittihad added reigning Ballon D’Or winner Karim Benzema from Real Madrid and N’Golo Kante from Chelsea for another few hundred million euros.

While Lionel Messi passed on a reportedly blockbuster deal to play in Saudi, there is little doubt more huge names will be heading to the capital - the question is who they will be.

Offers have reportedly been made to stars such as Romelu Lukaku, Luka Modric, Neymar and more. Famous coaches such as Jose Mourinho and Zinedine Zidane have also reportedly been approached by Saudi but rejected the deals.

With such stars being offered hundreds of millions a year, this new development has caused even the biggest clubs in the world to sit up and take notice.

The Liverpool Echo’s headline summed it up: “Saudi Arabia transfer exodus could give Liverpool a big problem.”  

It is not just about spending big amounts on big names; the Chinese Super League did that in the previous decade with very mixed results.

Saudi Arabia has a long-term strategy to become one of the top 10 leagues in the world. In June, the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) took over control of the kingdom’s four biggest clubs Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahly.

There is a drive to develop these clubs