Tottenham forward sends strong message to Saudi Pro League

Richarlison sent a strong message to the Saudi Pro League, reportedly rejecting a big money offer to stay and compete in the Premier League, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Tottenham Hotspur player was left off the 2024 Copa America Brazilian national team after suffering a calf injury with his club last season, but has not given up on his dreams of rejoining the team in the future.

Richarlison rejected a lucrative contract from the Saudi Pro League because playing in the Premier League is his dream and he believed a transfer to the Saudi Pro League would be detrimental to his ability to play with his national team, reported Joao Castelo-Branco.

Richarlison's decision could set a necessary precedent for younger players.

It has almost been two years since Cristiano Ronaldo became soccer’s highest-paid athlete, signing a $200 million per year contract with the Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr. Many players have followed him, recognizing the value in the lucrative contracts the Saudi sides offered.

Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane are just a few of the big names who have followed Ronaldo’s lead, but these are well established older players on the decline in their careers. They will most likely be called up to their respective national teams if healthy. Nobody blames these players for seeking these big-money deals late in their careers because they have already proven themselves.

However, recently the Saudi Pro League has been attracting younger players who are still in the prime of their careers, which could be damaging to the ability of European clubs to retain players — especially smaller clubs, which need the money.

Ruben Neves, 27, moved from the Wolverhampton Wonderers (Wolves) to Al Hilal F.C. after telling Sky Sports that he wanted to play Champions League soccer a month earlier. Neves moved to Al Hilal for $59.8 million, a Wolves record transfer fee and one they could hardly refuse.

Richarlison’s rejection of the contract sends a strong message to the Saudi Pro League and the rest of world soccer, conveying that he will not accept money for what he views as sacrificing his ability to play at the highest level at this stage in his career. Richarlison’s statement comes a few days after Barcelona’s Vitor Roque reportedly rejected approaches from the Saudi Pro League to fight for his spot in the team.

The former Real Madrid star Toni Kroos agrees with this sentiment, saying that moving to the Saudi Pro League is a decision “against football.” If this transfer trend continues, it will certainly be a concern for European clubs. They can only hope more players share Richarlison’s mentality.