Bruno Said No to Saudi Pro League - And He Won't Be the Last

Congratulations are in order to the New York Times writer who came up with this headline...

"They tried to make him go to Riyadh...Here's why Bruno saying no should be celebrated"

Fernandes has good reasons to stay at Man Utd where he is cheered on in home games by 70,000 spectators. As the player himself said, he wants to "stay at the highest level". 

He's not the only one, with Marcus Rashford, Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Ousmane Dembélé also reportedly rejecting the cash. Money isn't everything.

Saudi Stadiums Are Half Empty - And Players are Noticing

In the 2024-25 season the average number of fans attending home matches of Al-Ittihad Club was the largest by far in the Saudi Pro League (SPL), at about 35,000 thousand spectators. That number still means the stadium is only about half full. And 14 of the 18 teams in the SPL have an average attendance under 10,000, with three teams averaging less than 2,000.

For context that means those three teams are averaging less live fans per game than every single team in the fourth tier of English football. The lowest ranked team, Accrington Stanley, attract an average of 2,556 spectators per home game.

Who's Watching? Who Knows?

What about TV viewership? The PR folks will be quick to tell you that the league is broadcast in 165 countries. But having "reach" and being watched are two different things, especially when the SPL is mostly broadcast on DAZN who received a $1 billion investment from, no drumroll necessary, the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

It's hard to find actual TV ratings numbers for the league, perhaps because they would rather you not know. In 2024 Journalist Jaime Ojeda reported that the SPL aired 75 matches on Fox Sports in the United States and averaged a paltry 10,000 viewers.

Meanwhile ratings in Spain and France were so anaemic - 5,000 viewers for the "top game" between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad - that one broadcaster simply pulled the plug.

Where Stars Go to Hide

There's a joke in the TV world that Apple+ is where stars go to hide - picking up huge checks to appear in shows that nobody watches. The same is true about the SPL, except in soccer's case - Jordan Henderson aside - it pretty much marks the end of your career.

Perhaps that's why this season most of the players rumored to be heading off to sunny Riyadh aren't the superstars but rather the ones that clubs would be quite happy to offload and pick up a nice fat fee in the process.

Which Players Might Cash In and Walk Away?

Jadon Sancho finds himself unwanted at both Chelsea and Manchester United. The SPL may be his only option to avoid a big pay cut. Meanwhile Liverpool would be thrilled to recoup the $85 million they spent on Darwin Nunez (though probably less thrilled to see Luis Diaz leave, who is rumored to on SPL's shopping list).

Goalkeepers Ederson (Manchester City) and Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) are both targets for the SPL, though the latter is another who has reportedly knocked back advances, according to The Sun.

After a disappointing season, Tottenham forward Son Heung-min is also wanted...and Spurs need the funds. Manchester United similarly need some money to fund those moves for Cunha and Mbeumo and recently indicated they would listen to offers for all their players. 

Ultimately, more and more players are rejecting the SPL to stay in Europe. The exceptions are unwanted players or those nearing the end of their career who could use one last massive paycheck (Luka Modric, aged 39, perhaps). But increasingly players like Fernandes are realizing that however much money they chuck at you, it's just not worth it.