The 2023 summer football transfer window that has just ended in top nations – it is still open for a few more days in some countries – has brought with it a new phenomenon.

This is the “intrusion” of Saudi Arabia as a country of destination for top footballers, attracted as they are by the millions of euros that are being spent by Saudi clubs for transfers and salaries.

It started off with former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo, whose move there was perceived by many as a multi-million swan song for the Portuguese striker now close to the end of his career.

It was thought that Saudi Arabia would have quickly become a place where top footballers go in their late 30s, when they would have surpassed their peak. But this notion was quickly forgotten as many other players at the height of their career chose to leave top European clubs to move to this Asian country over the past weeks.

No doubt, they were attracted by the millions of euros that were put on the table for them to grab in contracts that no other European club could offer. It was an opportunity that many did not refuse, and they preferred to earn more money in a league which, up do now, does not have the following that other top competitions have, than to earn less with clubs which have a bigger world standing.

It is not only players who are making this move. Even coaches, together with their staff, are moving to Saudi Arabia. The latest was former Italy coach Roberto Mancini, who resigned his post and, weeks later, was presented as the Saudi Arabia national coach having signed a contract which by far eclipses what he earned in his home country.

Looking at the line-ups of most Saudi Arabian teams, one can notice that the number of foreign players has risen exponentially this summer. Foreigners still make up a small percentage of the list of players, but it is to be expected that the proportion will increase in the years to come, given that many Saudi clubs have the finances to attract the best players.

Whether the Saudi Arabian league will become as popular as European leagues remains to be seen. But the presence of so many well-known names has generated interest in Saudi Arabia which was certainly not there in the past years.

Players who were approached to play for a Saudi Arabia club had a choice to make: earn more (lots more) while playing in a league which as yet does not garner that much attention, or continue to play in Europe where the competitions are more prestigious and tough but, at the same time, earn less.

Many chose money over prestige; others refused.

What is sure is that this is not a one-off thing. This Saudi “incursion” may have caught many by surprise this summer, but it is likely that in the next transfer window – be it winter or summer – Saudi Arabia will once again be a protagonist.

International football has started a new chapter.