Premier League referees offered chance to triple salaries after blockbuster offer from Saudi Pro League: Reports

According to Daily Mail, the Saudi Pro League have offered Premier League referees the chance to triple their salaries. The report stated that SPL are offering EPL referees a salary of £330,000 tax-free per year.

The SPL have already acquired superstar footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, and more. They are now focused on bettering the standard of officials.

The likes of Szymon Marciniak and Antonio Mateu Lahoz, both of whom are well-known faces in the UEFA Champions League, have reportedly turned down lucrative offers from the SPL.

However, Michael Oliver, one of the Premier League's most renowned referees, officiated a game between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal earlier this year. According to The Mirror, he pocketed a hefty £3,000 from the game.

Former referees like Howard Webb and Mark Clattenburg have previously worked as the director of refereeing for the SPL. Clattenburg stayed in the post for 18 months and had a contract of £325,000 per year. After being removed from the position, the UEFA Euro 2016 final referee told Al-Arabiya (via Mirror):

“It’s one of those things – I had too many jobs. When they arrived they had a big fitness problem and were not well trained. I was disappointed in my meetings as they failed in the basic standards and understanding of the law of the game.”

The Saudi Pro League have become the home for stars across the globe and have been drawing unprecedented attention. Hence, it is understandable why the league could be looking to improve the overall standard to draw further fans.

Ex-Premier League referee expresses concern over Saudi Pro League's interest in officials

The Saudi Pro League have already shown that they can attract renowned names in the world football. The payment they offer is hard to match even for the best leagues in the world.

Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has now expressed his concern over the fact that more officials could be looking to pursue their future in the Middle-East as he said (via Mirror):

"Oliver has done a World Cup, and he's in line for the next World Cup too – he's our number one. But I'm concerned. Both Webb and Mark Clattenburg went over to the Middle East on a full-time basis. There is a risk there of the Premier League losing a world-class referee.”

For many ardent fans, the Premier League offers the gold standard for club football. Hence, the league also have the best referees in the world, one might argue. The Saudi Pro League are looking to shift the balance.