4 best foreign players in the Saudi Pro League this season (2023-24)
The Saudi Pro League is one of the leagues that is presently gaining popularity in the football world, as we've witnessed the inflow of top-class players to the league in recent years.
Many fans could claim that the transfer of various top-class players to the league could be tied to the humongous weekly wage offered to the players. However, the pioneers of the Saudi Pro League should be lauded for their investment in football, as their league is currently improving in terms of competitiveness and class.
With that being said, here are the four best foreign players in the Saudi Pro League this season.
#4 Aleksandar Mitrovic (Al-Hilal)
After joining Al-Hilal from Fulham in August 2023 for a healthy transfer fee of €52.60 million, Aleksandar Mitrovic has proven to be efficient in front of goal so far. By description, Mitrovic is a striker whose finishing is crisp, and his attacking intuition is tremendous as well.
In his first season for his new team, the Serbian forward has been on the scoresheet six times in seven league games; he also registered two assists in the aforementioned games. It's also key to mention that his presence in attack has been beneficial, as Al-Hilal are the current league leaders, having registered 23 points from nine league games played thus far.
#3 Mourad Batna (Al-Fateh)
In terms of popularity among big-name players, Mourad Batna can be seen as a player who has not gained much popularity yet. However, his performance and numbers in attack have been remarkable this season.
Having scored six goals and registered five assists in nine league games so far, Batna can be best described as a winger whose proficiency to navigate with the ball from the right flank to the final third is scrumptious. Batna is momentarily the third top scorer in the league, and for the fact that he's competing at the top with various big-name players, he deserves to be applauded.
#2 Moussa Dembele (Al-Ettifaq)
Moussa Dembele is one of the big-name players who moved from Europe to the Saudi Pro League last summer, as he joined Al-Ettifaq from Lyon on a free transfer.
Hence, Dembele can politely be characterized as a striker who is vibrant and robust in attack, as he has scored seven goals and aided one assist in eight league games so far. Likewise, he's the second-best scorer in the league behind Cristiano Ronaldo. In what could be labeled as his first campaign, Dembele has strengthened Al-Ettifaq's attack and enhanced their attacking capability.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr)
There's a reasonable justification as to why Cristiano Ronaldo is always listed when top-class players in the football world are ranked, even though he's not playing in Europe.
The reason is tied to the fact, that despite his age, he's still registering the most significant numbers in the final third. In the Saudi Pro League this season, Ronaldo has netted 10 goals and registered five assists in eight games. It's also worth mentioning that he has been the game-changer in Al-Nassr's attack, as they are presently ranked third in the standings.
At the age of 38, Ronaldo is currently dominating several young and vibrant strikers in the league, as he's the league's current top scorer. Hence, he merits the number one spot on the list.