Chelsea continue to be a talking point in this transfer window as their stars have been linked with moves to the Saudi Pro League.
Many players based in Europe are making the switch to Saudi Arabia, and several Chelsea players are following the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the Middle East.
Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, 26, has also shown that even those in their prime are interested in moving to the Saudi Pro League as he is set to join Al-Hilal for £47.1m ($60m) despite interest from Manchester United and Barcelona.
The Sporting News looks at Chelsea players that have joined Saudi Pro League teams.
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How many Chelsea players have joined Saudi teams this summer?
N’Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly are the Chelsea players so far this summer to announce a move to Saudi Arabia.
Kante will officially be an Al Ittihad player alongside Karim Benzema when his contract expires on June 30, 2023.
Koulibaly, who reportedly rejected a move to Inter Milan in order to pursue a transfer to the Saudi Pro League, officially joined Al Hilal on June 25 for a €23 million fee.
Hakim Ziyech could be joining Ronaldo and Anderson Talisca at Al Nassr, while Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is heavily linked with a move to Al Ahli.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may also find himself in the Middle East next, but Romelu Lukaku has rejected a move to the league in order to join Inter permanently.
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— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) June 25, 2023
Why are Chelsea players moving to Saudi Arabia?
Although teams from the Saudi Pro League will not be getting as much coverage around the world as teams in the UEFA Champions League, players still have a big incentive to move to Saudi Arabia.
Kante is set to earn £67.6m ($86m) per year for four years at Al Ittihad, while Benzema will make £84m ($107m) a year across his three-year contract at the same club. Koulibaly will reportedly be on 30 million wages per season.
Not everyone will be earning as much money as this, but the financial incentives for players will certainly be convincing due to the early retirement age in the sport compared to other jobs.
Chelsea have spent over half a billion dollars on transfers since owner Todd Boehly took over, which has led many to question whether they are complying with Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
Selling players to the Saudi Pro League for good amounts of money will certainly help the Blues operate without worrying about breaking any FFP laws.
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