Manchester United unconcerned by Saudi Arabia transfer activity but spending set to continue

Erik ten Hag is unconcerned about the threat of the Saudi Pro League to Manchester United, despite the expectation that the big-spending clubs have a decade’s worth of backing ahead of them.

United have made £4million from the unprecedented investment by Saudi clubs this summer, selling left-back Alex Telles to Al Nassr, but plenty of their Premier League rivals have cashed in on the SPL boom, with Liverpool selling Jordan Henderson and Fabinho and Chelsea raising funds with the departures of Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly.

When it comes to incomings, United haven’t had to face any serious competition from clubs in the Gulf state for the signings of Andre Onana, Mason Mount or Rasmus Hojlund this summer, with the 20-year-old Denmark striker’s £72millon move from Atalanta set to be confirmed shortly.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia have tended to focus on signing older players approaching the end of their careers and United haven’t been competing in that market, having turned their focus towards younger players this summer, in 27-year-old Onana, Mount, 24, and Hojlund.

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Saudi clubs have spent more than £250millon in a remarkable summer window and have told recruitment bosses in Europe they have enough financial backing to fund 10 years' worth of spending.

Ten Hag expects the new competitor in the transfer market to have an effect in Europe, but less so in the Premier League.

“I think in Europe it has an effect because there is some money over there and it will attract players,” he said. “But I don’t see it in this moment as a problem for the Premier League because the Premier League is the league where the big players want to play. That is not in competition with a league