Meet Al-Taawoun! The Saudi Pro League minnows leaving Karim Benzema's Al-Ittihad in the dust and challenging Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr for the title
An interesting story is brewing in the SPL — and it's got nothing to do with the eye-watering transfer fees that put the competition on the map
The transfer market was irrevocably changed by the emergence of the Saudi Pro League as a realistic — and even attractive — destination for football's biggest stars over the summer. Buoyed by state-backed buyouts, the country's traditional big four: Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal, led the way for the league's eye-watering spending, bringing the likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar and Sadio Mane to the Middle East.
Even sides outside of this elite bubble ended up recruiting talent who would have viewed a move to Saudi Arabia as unthinkable just a few months earlier. Al-Ettifaq managed to tempt Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson to Dammam, and Al-Shabab snapped up big-contract enthusiast Yannick Carrasco from Atletico Madrid.
But for the minnows of the league, these types of signings were a rarity compared to the business conducted by the top four. As a result, the state-owned clubs were expected to leave all challengers in their wake this season — but that's not quite how it's played out so far.
While title favourites Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr currently make up the top two, there is a disruptive force creeping up on them in third ahead of the other big-four clubs: Al-Taawoun. They are no strangers to upsetting the odds, either...
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