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After Cristiano Ronaldo switched over to the Saudi Pro League, the league seems to have come into the limelight as more and more top players choose to follow in his footsteps. The 2023 summer transfer window was quite a busy one for teams in the Saudi Pro League. The league saw an influx of top talent who left European football to play in the Middle East.
Top players like Neymar, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, N'Golo Kante, and Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema are among the big-name players who made a switch from the European leagues.
Many expected that most of these players, who were coming from a tougher league, would have an easy ride in the Saudi Pro League. However, that hasn’t been the case so far.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top three best-performing players in the Saudi Pro League this season.
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#3. Riyad Mahrez - Al Ahli
Riyad Mahrez might not get the hype he deserves because he played for a star-studded Manchester City team; he was one of Pep Guardiola’s trusted men during his time at the Etihad.
The Algerian winger was one of the most brilliant players in the English Premier League. He caught the attention of Guardiola with his impressive performances for Leicester City. He was an instrumental player in the club’s surprising league win in the 2015–16 season.
With 48 goals and 38 assists in 179 games for the Foxes, Manchester City splashed a fee of £60 million to secure his signing in 2018. His transfer to the club turned out to be an instant success. In his first season, he won three trophies, which include the Premier League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup.
His trophy-winning run continued with City as well, and during his five-year stay at the club, he won 12 trophies, which included a Champions League trophy, five Premier League titles, three league cups, and others.
In terms of his performance, his numbers were also quite impressive. He scored 78 goals and registered 59 assists in 236 games for the English club. He emerged as a top target for Al Ahli, who spent £30 million in the summer to sign their man.
Without wasting time, Mahrez has already got the ball rolling in the Saudi Pro League. He has scored four goals and registered six assists in 11 games for the club.
#2 Aleksandar Mitrovic - Al Hilal
Aleksandar Mitrovic, the Serbian international striker, is also among the list of Premier League stars who joined a team in the Saudi Pro League in the summer.
Before joining Al Hilal, Mitrovic was playing for Fulham. He joined the club in 2018 and has been leading the attack at the club ever since. In his last season at the club, he scored 15 goals in 28 appearances. Overall, he has scored 111 goals and registered 22 assists in 206 games.
In all fairness, Mitrovic deserves some sort of recognition for his performance over the years. Not everybody would be able to do what he has done at a club like Fulham. After spending five years at the club, Al Hilal offered him an opportunity to prove himself in a new league. A tempting offer that was too good to reject.
The club splashed £46 million to secure his signing, and based on his performance so far, it’s safe to say that he has justified his price tag. He has played nine games in the Saudi Pro League and scored eight goals. With these stats, he occupies second place in the goal-scoring chart.
#1. Cristiano Ronaldo - Al Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the best players in the world. He has impressed and entertained football lovers around the world with nothing but outstanding performances over the years.
Ronaldo has played in different clubs across Europe. He has conquered England, Spain, and Italy. And even at 38, he is currently conquering the Saudi Pro League. Before joining Al Nassr, he had made a buzzworthy return to his former club Manchester United in the Premier League. However, during his second stint at Old Trafford, the player failed to live up to the supporters' expectations.
Many even thought he would consider retiring but Ronaldo being who he is, never considered this possibility, at least not yet. All he needed was a change of environment and currently, he's playing at his best once again.
His debut season for Al Nassr was quite impressive for a player who many considered finished. He played 19 games, scored 14 goals, and registered two assists.
With the arrival of players who are way younger than Ronaldo this season, we expected them to pose a serious threat to his domination in the league, but presently, there doesn’t seem to be a competition at all.
Having played 10 games this season, he is the leading goalscorer in the Saudi Pro with 11 goals. He didn’t stop there, he has also registered six assists so far. These numbers are extraordinary, even for someone like Ronaldo. With this performance, it’s safe to say that he has proven that age is nothing but just a number.
