Saudi Arabian club chiefs stay at luxury hotel worth £770-a-night after establishing base in London to sign top footballers: Reports
According to The Sun, Saudi Arabian club chiefs are using The Churchill, a hotel that costs £770 per room for one night, as a base for their secret transfer war room.
The Public Investment Fund, owner of Premier League club Newcastle United, recently took charge of Saudi Pro League clubs Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Hilal.
They are now looking to tempt top Premier League stars to the SPL. N'Golo Kante has already joined Al-Ittihad. Hakim Ziyech has been linked with a move to Al-Nassr. Eduardo Mendy has been linked with a move to Al-Ahli while Kalidou Koulibaly has been linked with Al-Hilal. Bernardo Silva has also reportedly received a huge offer from the Middle East. Ruben Neves, on the other hand, has completed a move to Al-Hilal at the age of 26.
Hence, it is no secret that the clubs are looking to build competitive teams. It can further raise the SPL's standards and help improve the country's footballing infrastructure as a result.
Saudi chiefs are not relying on fax machines to complete transfers and have found a base in London to complete the deals. The Churchill is an esteemed hotel and has previously hosted former US President Barack Obama.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi Pro League claim could be coming true
Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr on December 31, 2022, brought a great amount of attention to the Saudi Pro League. The 38-year-old played a major role in the league growing its fanbase.
The Portuguese superstar told SPL's official media in a recent interview that the league has the potential to be one of the best in the world. He also outlines the improvements to make, saying:
"I think the league is very good. But I think we have many many opportunities to still grow. I think the league is good, it's competitive, we have very good Arab players."
Ronaldo added:
"The infrastructure, I think they need to improve. Even the referees, the VAR system, those should be a little bit quicker. Other small things they need to improve. In my opinion, if they continue to do it, the work, for the next five years, I think the Saudi League can be the fifth in the world."
Many claimed that Ronaldo's comments were too far-fetched. They also deemed that it would take a while for the Saudi league to reach the level. However, the groundwork has already started. The recent marquee acquisitions are testaments to the same.