Rodrigo de Paul set to stay at Atlético Madrid after €32m deal collapse with Al Ahli: Reports

Saudi is pulling big European stars with meaty offers.

Rodrigo de Paul set to stay at Atlético Madrid after €32m deal collapse with Al Ahli: Reports

Rodrigo de Paul. (Source: via Getty)

Negotiations between Al Ahli and Rodrigo de Paul have broken down as the Argentine pledges his loyalty to Atléti and Diego Simeone. Atlético de Madrid also have made their intentions clear stating they will not consider parting with the midfielder for less than €80-90M.

After Al Ahli’s deal to sign Polish midfielder, Piotr Zieliński, fell through, the club was looking to Rodrigo de Paul. Signing the likes of Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, Allan Saint-Maximin and Édouard Mendy. Al Ahli are now looking to sign a midfielder with European expertise. Competing against the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and N’Golo Kanté in the league, they believe they need to bolster their midfield to compete with their rivals.

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This transfer saga affected other clubs as well. If Rodrigo de Paul were to leave, Atléti would have been keen on signing Sofyan Amrabat. As only €30m is being asked for the Moroccan, many clubs have been in contention to sign the midfielder. The likes of Liverpool, Manchester United were already interested.

Atlético de Madrid signed the midfielder from Udinese for €35m in 2021. Since then he has played an important role in Simeone’s side never playing less than 30 games a season in all competitions. With the 29-year-old’s contract running till 2026, the Argentine has no reason to leave European competition for the Middle East.

Related: Real Madrid to cash all in for this key Premier League defender to fill Eder Militao’s void: Reports

Stars leave for Saudi

Neymar's Al Hilal presentation
Neymar’s Al Hilal presentation. (Source: via MARCA)

A sudden migration towards Saudi clubs has occurred in a short time. Mainly because the wages and lifestyle these clubs offer are on a whole other level. Karim Benzema, Al-Ittihad striker, will earn a staggering £172m in the span of 3 years. Neymar, now at Al-Hilal, will be earning £138m for the duration of the contract alongside his absurd demands. Neymar landed in Saudi Arabia in Boeing 747 after the Saudi Prince sent his private plane to pick up the forward.

Cristiano Ronaldo who is deemed the catalyst for this migration, spoke on the Saudi Pro League when he had initially arrived. “If they continue to do the work that they want to do here, for the next five years, I think the Saudi league can be a top-five league in the world,” says the Portuguese. Many criticized and made fun of the striker when he made the statement.

One year later and stars from around Europe are leaving. While many still believe that the Saudi League will never compare to the level of European Competition, it is impossible to ignore Saudi’s pulling power with all these star signings.

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