Manchester United could make millions by copying Man City and Chelsea transfer trick this summer

If Saudi Arabia was seen as a luxurious enough destination for Cristiano Ronaldo, there was never any worry they would have difficulty attracting other big-name stars.

Ronaldo made the switch to Al Nassr in December 2022, just weeks after exiting Manchester United, and other big-name players have followed in his footsteps. Suggestions the Saudi Pro League would become nothing more than a retirement home for the elite have since been quashed.

Since Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia, plenty more world-class talents have followed suit, such as Ruben Neves, N'Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino and Karim Benzema. The finances available to Saudi clubs has made such eye-catching moves possible.

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Last summer, the Saudi Pro League spent £784million on new arrivals, signing the likes of Aymeric Laporte and Riyad Mahrez from Manchester City, Chelsea duo Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, and Sadio Mane from Bayern Munich. The only time they made contact with United, however, was when they paid £4m to sign Alex Telles.

Ahead of this summer's transfer window, which opens next week, there has been an increase in the number of United players being linked with a Saudi switch. Reports on Monday linked midfield duo Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro with Al Nassr, while Raphael Varane has also been linked with a move to the Middle East for some time.

Reports linking Casemiro and Fernandes with a move to Al Nassr claimed the Saudi outfit were 'considering' bids that could only be described as jaw-dropping. One report stated they are 'ready to offer' €90m-€100m (£76.6m-£85.1m at