The Saudi Pro League club has been banned from signing any new players until its transfer debts are settled.
The direction of soccer has changed considerably in recent times due to moves made by countries in the Middle East.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar seemed to be a turning point for the sport, which was followed by a number of players being linked to clubs in the Middle East.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s high-profile move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia sparked an exodus of players in Europe’s top leagues to Saudi soccer clubs. This summer alone, we’ve seen the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté and Kalidou Koulibaly all head to Saudi Arabia, with more moves expected this summer.
However, one club which won’t be making any more moves in the short term is Ronaldo’s current club, Al-Nassr.
The Saudi Pro League club has been issued a ban on registering any new players by FIFA. This ban is to be in place until Al-Nassr resolves any outstanding transfer debts.
A FIFA spokesperson today stated “relevant bans will be lifted immediately” after Al-Nassr has paid its creditors.
One of those creditors is Leicester City, formerly of the English Premier League prior to relegation in May. Al-Nassr owe Leicester payments due when they signed Ahmed Musa back in 2018.
More creditors are likely to be named in the coming days. The question remains as to whether Al-Nassr will pay their outstanding debts to enable future transfer activity.
So far this summer, Al Nassr has signed Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan, for around $20 million.
