It started with Cristiano Ronaldo and plenty of scepticism. When Al Nassr announced in December that Ronaldo had agreed to move to the Saudi Pro League in a deal worth £175million-a-year in the wake of his spectacular fallout with Manchester United, it made headlines around the world.
But surely this was just a final pay-day for the Portuguese superstar? Ronaldo’s move to the Middle East wouldn’t catch on, despite the ambition and fabulous wealth of his new Arab paymasters.
But over the last seven months the trickle has become a stream as stars from all over Europe have headed to Saudi Arabia.