7 Football Stars Who Declined Chance to Link Up With Cristiano and Co in Saudi

• The Saudi Pro League has courted interest in recent years, with top footballers joining the division
• Cristiano Ronaldo's move to the league back in January seemingly opened the way for top players to join
• Kylian Mbappe could become the latest high-profile player to move to link up with Ronaldo and co in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Pro League has gained traction in recent years, with a number of high-profile footballers swapping European football for a move to Asia.

This summer has seen a host of footballers seal a move to the Saudi top flight, with Chelsea largely responsible for the numbers.

N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, and Kalidou Koulibaly all recently dumped the Blues to move to Saudi, with Karim Benzema, the other high-ranking footballer, to seal a move.

According to Sky Sports, Kylian Mbappe could also make a switch after Al Hilal reportedly tabled a world-record bid to land the wantaway Frenchman.

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Incidentally, the transfers come just months after Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Saudi with Al Nassr after his Manchester United departure.

However, while the Saudi Pro League has been attractive to a number of players, there are those who have outrightly declined to join despite getting massive offers.

Sports Brief takes a look at the top 10 football personalities who have turned down moves to the division.

1. Lionel Messi

The Argentine football legend was linked with a sensational summer move to Al Hilal as he came close to the end of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

However, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner rejected the move and moved to the MLS instead with Inter Miami.

2. Romelu Lukaku

The Chelsea attacker is currently the subject of transfer speculation, with the Blues keen to offload him.

GiveMeSport reports that the Belgian received an offer from Al Hilal but turned it down as he wants to continue playing in Europe.

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3. Jose Mourinho

The Portuguese is said to have been approached by Al Ahli.

However, it is understood that the Roma boss was not convinced by the project laid out for him and chose to remain with the Italian giants.

4. Son Heung-Min

The South Korean was reportedly offered £25 million per year to join Al Ittihad but declared that money was not his biggest motivation at this point.

5. Luka Modric

The midfield maestro is said to have received a three-year offer worth £170 million to play for Al Hilal.

However, he declined and instead penned a one-year contract extension with Real Madrid.

6. Jamie Vardy

The Englishman is among several Leicester City stars who have been linked with a summer exit following the club's relegation to the Championship.

Al Khaleej were reportedly keen on his services, only for the veteran forward to reject their advances.

7. Sergio Busquets

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The Barcelona legend became a free agent after he brought to a close his illustrious career with the Spanish giants.

Al Hilal were reportedly looking to sign him, but the Spaniard chose to join Inter Miami, where he has since reunited with Lionel Messi.

Mahrez moves to Saudi with incredible record

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Mahrez has become the African player with the most English Premier League titles after Manchester City were declared champions on Saturday, May 20, 2023.

The Cityzens were crowned champions without even kicking the ball after Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest at the City Grounds.

City's four-point advantage over Arsenal with just a game remaining for the Gunners meant the London club were mathematically out of the race.