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Cristiano Ronaldo was the first marquee name to leave England for Saudi Arabia, and a number of players have since gone down the same path.

While Ronaldo joined on a free transfer, Saudi Pro League clubs have had to pay substantial fees to land several of their other leading targets.

Here, we take a look at the 10 costliest departures from English clubs to Saudi Pro League teams. Note: the figures include all possible add-ons.

A five-time Premier League champion, Riyad Mahrez ended his nine-year stay in England when he joined Al-Ahli in the summer of 2023.

The Saudi Pro League club paid a then club-record amount for the winger, giving Manchester City an initial £30.4million along with a further £4.3million in possible add-ons.

He went on to produce 37 goals and 50 assists in 122 appearances in all competitions, playing a major role in their achievements as they lifted two AFC Champions League Elite titles and one Saudi Super Cup.

The Algeria international has now departed Al-Ahli on a free transfer this summer after his contract expired.

Fabinho enjoyed a hugely successful spell at Liverpool and was a central figure in the side that ended the club’s 30-year wait for a league title in 2020.

However, his performances dropped in 2022-23 and Liverpool chose to cash in after Al-Ittihad submitted a £40million offer for the midfielder.

“Al-Ittihad made an offer for me and the Liverpool directors said it was very good for the club and for me,” he said. “I was afraid and decided to wait to see what [the coaching staff] would say.

“I thought I was an important player and that they would refuse any offer, but I realised that the club was open to selling me.”

The Brazil international added more silverware by winning the Saudi Pro League title and the King’s Cup in 2024-25, but he has since left the club on a free transfer.

After scoring 36 goals in 63 Premier League matches for Brentford, Ivan Toney was linked with Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham in the summer of 2024.

But a switch to another Premier League side never happened for the England international, which opened the door for Al-Ahli.

An initial bid of £35million was turned down by Brentford, but the club came back with a second offer worth £40million and it was accepted on transfer deadline day.

The striker has delivered 72 goals and 17 assists in 93 appearances across all competitions, while also winning back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles and a Saudi Super Cup. He is also among the highest-paid footballers in the world.

Joao Felix was unable to make much of an impression across his two separate spells at Chelsea, who first took him to West London on loan and then paid £45million to sign him permanently in 2024.

He then spent the second half of the 2024-25 season on loan at AC Milan before joining his fellow Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.

The Saudi Pro League club paid an initial £26.2million, with a further £17.5million in potential add-ons for the Portugal international, taking the overall package to £43.7million.

He produced 26 goals and 19 assists in all competitions in 2025-26 and won the Saudi Pro League Player of the Season award after helping Al Nassr end a seven-year wait for the league title.

Ruben Neves won the Championship title in his first season at Wolves in 2017-18 and then established himself as one of the Premier League’s top midfielders.

The Portugal international wanted to join Barcelona in the summer of 2023, but the financially stretched LaLiga club did not have the money to complete the move.

Al Hilal had no such financial concerns and agreed a £47million deal, helping Wolves balance their accounts and meet Financial Fair Play requirements.

The 29-year-old has won one Saudi Pro League title, two Saudi Super Cups and two King’s Cups with Al Hilal, and he recently signed a new contract to remain with the Riyadh club until 2029.

After finalising the move for Neves, Al Hilal carried on their Premier League spending spree by signing Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea and Aleksandar Mitrovic from Fulham in the summer of 2023.

They first tried to sign Mitrovic for £25.5million, but eventually increased their offer to £50million, making him Fulham’s record sale.

The striker hit 40 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions in his debut season, helping Al Hilal win the Saudi Pro League title, the Saudi Super Cup and the King’s Cup in 2023-24.

But after an injury-disrupted second season, his contract was ended by mutual consent and he then joined Qatari club Al Rayyan on a free transfer.

Aston Villa beat competition from Al Nassr to sign Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2023 in a deal worth up to £51.9million.

But he spent only one season at Villa Park before moving to the Saudi Pro League, with Al Ittihad securing his signature in 2024.

The France international was signed for £50.4million, and that transfer saw him overtake Fabinho as Al Ittihad’s record signing.

He won the Saudi Pro League title and the King’s Cup in his first season in 2024-25, and has since been linked with a return to Europe with Inter Milan.

Darwin Nunez did not live up to his £85million fee during his Liverpool spell, and he played only a limited role in their title-winning campaign in 2024-25.

Liverpool opted to cut their losses on the forward in 2025, selling him to Al Hilal for an initial £46.2million plus another £10.4million in possible add-ons.

He scored nine goals in his first 24 appearances, but was removed from their Saudi Pro League squad after Karim Benzema arrived from Al Ittihad in February 2026.

The Uruguay international is now seeking to leave Al Hilal this summer and has been linked with clubs in America and Turkey.

Crysencio Summerville was one of West Ham United’s best performers in 2025-26, but he could not stop the club from being relegated from the Premier League.

Roma had two bids rejected for the Netherlands international, with the second proposal reportedly worth around £40million.

He was also linked with Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United before Al Hilal entered the race and comfortably outbid the other interested clubs.

They agreed to pay West Ham an initial £55million, plus another £5million in add-ons, for the winger, who has signed a four-year contract.

Having joined Aston Villa in January 2023 as a relatively unknown player, Jhon Duran quickly developed into one of the most exciting young talents in the Premier League.

Villa rejected a £57million offer from West Ham in January 2025, but Al Nassr’s proposal of an initial £65million and £6million in potential add-ons was too good to refuse.

“I don’t know exactly until everything is done if Jhon Duran is leaving but if he is leaving it is good news for us because it means they are paying good money,” Unai Emery said.

“Because we have developed one young player in two years to get this offer. It is not only for the club, it is the club, the players and team. Those circumstances can be positive.”

The transfer made him the second-most expensive signing in Saudi Pro League history, behind only Neymar’s £86million move to Al Hilal.

He scored 12 goals in 18 appearances, but was sent out on loan to Fenerbahce just six months after joining Al Nassr.