The Saudi Pro League is laying the foundations for an ambitious summer move for Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele.
Sky Sports news understands senior SPL figures are already making preliminary inquiries to bring one of the game’s biggest assets to the country from Paris Saint-German in 2026.
A sizeable package is being drawn up to try and lure the France international to Saudi after this summer’s World Cup in what is expected to be a busy summer of player dealing in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia’s first cycle of investment in some of the world’s top players is coming to an end this year, with a number of current international stars seeing their contracts expire, so the country is now working on the next wave of top talent to enter the league.
Sky Sports news have sought reaction from Dembele’s entourage and they insist he will not have his head turned this season; he is fully focused on PSG and trying to win the Champions League and the French title again, and then he will concentrate fully on the World Cup for France.
But after that, Dembele’s future and the possibility of a seismic transfer to Saudi Arabia – at the peak of his career – can then be firmly on the agenda.
With two-and-a-half years left on his current contract, PSG are ready to open talks with Dembele over a new deal. Sky Sports news understand, but president Nasser Al Khelaifi has warned this week that every player must fit into the club’s salary structure.
Qatari told French media: “The club’s policy is that we have a salary cap for the players, which everyone knows. Everyone has to respect that. The team and the club are more important than anyone else.”
Dembele was crowned Ballon d’Or winner last year after helping fire PSG to a historic treble which included their first ever Champions League title. Dembele scored 35 goals and provided 14 assists in 53 appearances for PSG last season.
The 28-year-old has scored 49 goals in 115 games since signing for PSG from Barcelona for £43m in 2023.
Can Saudi pull off their biggest move since CR7?
Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol:
“If this happens, it would be the biggest deal for Saudi Arabia since they bought Cristiano Ronaldo.
“The Saudi Pro League clubs are expecting a big summer transfer window and one of the players they are looking to sign is Ousmane Dembele.
“Could it happen? I think it’s a long shot – but the football landscape in Saudi Arabia is changing.
“For a long time the clubs were effectively bankrolled and controlled by the state. Then we had the situation where some of the biggest clubs were owned by the Sovereign Wealth Fund.
“Now we’re in the situation where clubs are opening up and attracting private investment. So it’s not just the case of Saudi government money being invested in these clubs and big name transfers, it’s also private investors who will use their own money to try and sign players.
“They may try to sign him, but whether he wants to go to Saudi Arabia when he is at the peak of his powers remains to be seen.”