When does the Saudi Pro League transfer window close? How could this impact other leagues?

The rapid growth of the Saudi Pro League has been the story of the summer, snapping up dozens of big-name players from the biggest clubs in Europe.

When Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr from Manchester United earlier this year, some eyebrows were raised. Yes, he was reaching the twilight of his glittering career, his best days in the rear-view mirror, but he remained one of the most iconic footballers on the planet.

But one star signing, even of the status of one of those in the GOAT conversation, a league does not make. Add a sprinkling of other top players across various clubs, however, and more people are going to pay attention, no matter what the underlying principles are.

Throughout the summer players from Real Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich - to name just a few - have made the move to Saudi Arabia. After Neymar became the latest elite star to sign for a Saudi Pro League side, it looks like the transfer bonanza will only continue.

Which top players have joined the Saudi Pro League?

The aforementioned Portuguese superstar arrived in January and this summer we’ve listened to almost daily rumours of who will join him. Real Madrid captain and reigning Ballon D’Or winner Karim Benzema put pen to paper on a deal with Al-Ittihad, where he has been joined by N’Golo Kanté and Fabinho.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been joined by Sadio Mane and Marceo Brozovic; while Al Ettifaq have brought in two former Liverpool captains, Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson.

But perhaps the most staggering business so far this summer has been done by Al Ahli, who have raided the Premier League for Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy and Allan Saint-Maximin.

When does the SPL transfer window close?

The transfer window for the Saudi Pro League is open from 1 July until 20 September 2023.

This means that Saudi clubs have another month in which to pick off more stars from major European leagues and, as momentum behind the newly-moneyed league grows, expect more transfers to follow.

With the Premier League, LaLiga and other major European leagues set to close their respective transfer windows at the start of September, this could cause major problems for clubs. Saudi teams could swoop in with massive offers in September, while the Saudi transfer window is still open, and sign players from clubs who are unable to bring in a replacement until January.

With that in mind, we could see plenty more big moves to the Saudi Pro League later this summer.