Al-Riyadh Transfer News, Analysis and Overview – 2024
Al-Riyadh is one of the most popular clubs in the Saudi Pro League with an excellent history of footballing heritage. Founded in 1953, the Riyadh-based football team has a story of perseverance and strong emotions, highlighting the deep-lying passion of their management and supporters alike in boosting Saudi Arabia’s football market.
The Saudi Riyadh Club made a fourteen-placed finish in the 2023/24 Saudi Pro League season, their second-best standing in the country’s top tier football tournament. It might look like a disappointing result for the club, but in reality it’s something to be proud of, given the club’s transitional history. When the big clubs of the Saudi League are splashing cash for big players, Al-Riyadh are still following their old strategy in the transfer market, at least the 2024/25 summer transfer window says so.
Their biggest achievement so far has been a second-placed finish in the 1993-94 Saudi Premier League. While the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) is backing top-four clubs in the country to spend billions in promoting the country’s ambitious approach to becoming a global soccer market, Al-Riyadh, sitting at an estimated valuation of just £14.89 million, are making calculated steps in the 2024/25 transfer market.
Al-Riyadh Transfers Club Performance History
Al-Riyadh have always been an underrated and undervalued club in the top division football of Saudi Arabia despite the Riyadh outfit showing sparks of bright future. The Saudi club first made their move in the transfer business in 1993 and brought two players – Yassir Al Taifi and Ibrahim Al-Helwah. In the 2024/25 summer transfer window, 22 new players were brought to Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium in Riyadh, spending approximately £0.22 million in total. From 1993 to 2024, Al-Riyadh made plenty of mistakes in signing new players in every season’s transfer window. Their all-time top scorer is Saleh Al-Abbas, who played for Al-Riyadh in just 28 games and scored only eight goals. This particular stat outlines a horrible transfer history of the Saudi club.
Al-Riyadh Transfer Strategy and Philosophy
Al-Riyadh’s transfer strategy is just like any other minor team in any country. Without the support of the PIF’s huge sum of money, the Riyadh-based club have not been able to make lucrative offers to top European talents who are at their peaks at the moment.
Al-Riyadh have always prioritised home-grown talents in the transfer market due to a limited budget. While other major clubs like Al Nassr, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli depend on the influx of foreign players with the gradual growth of Saudi players, Al-Riyadh have built a squad with the country’s top young players. Their transfer philosophy has focused on demonstrating the positive growth of Saudi Arabian football.
Al-Riyadh Transfer 2024 Challenges & Criticisms
Saudi Pro League is currently looking for global recognition and a seat with other big World leagues like Premier League and La Liga. In order to achieve that feat, the country has spent billions of dollars in signing world-class players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar who are in the twilight of their careers. But, Al-Riyadh are totally different in their transfer approach so far. The 2024 transfer window has shown their contrasting mentality in this regard as their net spending in the season’s summer transfer window was just £0.22 million.
But, their strategy of sticking with the old transfer philosophy is costing them big time. Without the services of great European players who are capable of changing the course of any match, they are suffering against the big teams in the Saudi Pro League and other major tournaments of the nation. Their current squad, which is overflowed with Saudi players, are no match to clinical European footballers who have experience of playing at the highest stage of football. Without proper financial support, Al-Riyadh are struggling to form a formidable squad, hence unable to compete with major clubs.
Most Expensive Al-Riyadh Transfers
Since their return to the Saudi Pro League in 2022, Al-Riyadh have only bought players who have the ability to blend in a low-profile squad that has no big name in it. Since the club’s inception in the 1950s, they have never spent more than £1 million on buying a player in the transfer market, except a loan deal of Real Betis winger Juanmi that broke the club’s transfer record. The Spanish forward was signed in the 2023/24 transfer season on a £0.80 million deal.
| Player | Transfer fee | Club (from) | Season |
| Juanmi | £0.80 million | Real Betis (on loan) | 2023/24 |
| Suwailem Al-Manhali | £0.12 million | Al-Ittihad | 2024/25 |
| Muhammed Sahlouli | £94,080 | Al-Nassr | 2024/25 |
Al-Riyadh Transfers New Signings 2024/25
Al-Riyadh were very much active in the 2024/25 summer transfer window as they executed a bunch of new signings. Most of the new arrivals are from other teams of the Saudi Pro League. The Riyadh football club spent just £0.22 million to lure in 21 new players this season, with a busy winter transfer window looming large.
| Player | Transfer fee | Club (from) |
| Suwailem Al-Manhali | £0.12 million | Al-Ittihad |
| Muhammed Sahlouli | £94,080 | Al-Nassr |
| Toze | Free transfer | Al-Hazem |
| Mohamed Konate | Free transfer | Akhmat Grozny |
Al-Riyadh Transfers All Outgoing 2024/2025
Buy them young and help them climb up the ladder of fame and success. This has been the actual story of Al-Riyadh’s transfer journey. While bringing in 21 new players in the 2024/25 summer transfer window, the Saudi Pro League club also sold more than 14 players and sent a few more to other clubs on loan deals. Al-Riyadh have collected £1.50 million in their players’ departures this season so far.
| Player | Transfer fee | Club (to) |
| Mohammed Al-Shwirekh | £1.49 million | Al-Shabab |
| Didier Ndong | Free transfer | Esteghlal FC |
| Dino Arslanagic | Free transfer | Macarthur |
Top Signings for Al-Riyadh in 2024-25
In order to bring order in the defense, Al-Riyadh manager Sabri Lamouchi has signed Suwailem Al-Manhali from Al-Ittihad in the 2024/25 summer transfer market. The center-back has delivered impressive performances in four appearances for his new club. The young midfielder Toze, who arrived from Al-Hazem as a free agent, has already entertained the Riyadh fans by scoring two goals for the Saudi club.
Worst Signings for Al-Riyadh in 2024-25
As the summer transfers have just arrived at Al-Riyadh and have not faced any tough battle on the pitch, it is difficult to find out the worst signings of the season. At the end of the winter transfer window, a data-driven analysis will help us find out the worst of the lot.
Al-Riyadh Transfer Spend Till Now
Al-Riyadh is not financially better-off, unlike other big Saudi Pro League clubs such as Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr, or Al-Ittihad. As a result, the club from Riyadh have never spent more than 2 million euros in a single transfer window. In the 2024/25 summer transfer window, their spending was just £0.22 million in new signings. However, they made a fortune by selling some of their key players, amassing over £1.4 million.
| Total spend | Total received |
| £0.22 million | £1.5 million |
FAQs
What are the most significant transfers in Al-Riyadh history?
The most significant transfers in Al-Riyadh history are – the sale of Mohammed Al-Shwirekh and the signings of Suwailem Al-Manhali and Saleh Al-Abbas.
Who is responsible for transfers at Al-Riyadh?
The head coach Sabri Lamouchi oversees the recruitment process at Al-Riyadh.
What are Al-Riyadh top transfers this season?
The top transfers for Al-Riyadh in the 2024/25 transfer season are – the departure of Mohammed Al-Shwirekh for Al-Shabab and the arrival of Suwailem Al-Manhali from Al-Ittihad.