Report: Salah, De Bruyne among EPL stars to be targeted by Saudi clubs

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It's gearing up to be another busy summer for Saudi Pro League clubs.

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah are among the Premier League stars that are expected to be targeted by teams from the high-spending league during the summer transfer window, according to Rob Dawson of ESPN.

Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Bernardo Silva, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Raphael Varane, and Andreas Perreira are also expected to attract interest from Saudi Pro League clubs after the domestic season ends.

Younger players will also be prioritized. Juventus' 20-year-old forward Matias Soule is understood to be on the radar of SPL teams, Dawson adds.

Similar to last summer, Al Ittihad, Al Ahli, Al Nassr, and Al Hilal - controlled by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund (PIF) - are expected to be the most aggressive teams in the transfer market.

Saudi clubs spent a record £757 million in 2023 on players from Europe, including Karim Benzema, Neymar, N'Golo Kante, and Sadio Mane.

Salah was targeted last summer after Al-Ittihad launched a £150-million bid for the Egyptian striker, which Liverpool rejected. He ultimately ended up staying and has been instrumental in helping League Cup winner Liverpool mount a legitimate challenge for the Premier League title this season.

Although teams aren't expected to match the lavish spending from a year ago, Dawson reports that they'll be just as assertive in their continued efforts to sign players and boost the profile of the Saudi Pro League.