Al-Hilal legend Sami Al-Jaber has criticised the rising costs of transfers in the Saudi Pro League, saying Crysencio Summerville is not worth the €65m paid to sign him from West Ham United.
Al-Jaber, a former Saudi Arabia international, said Saudi clubs had become a clear financial target for agents, intermediaries and European clubs seeking to maximise their profits from player sales.
Speaking on the television programme “Nadina”, he argued that the market value of footballers had been inflated well beyond reasonable levels, partly because Saudi Pro League clubs have significant spending power.
“Agents, brokers and foreign newspapers are the reason for the rise in player prices, and Saudi League clubs have become a major target for stars and European teams looking to make money,” Al-Jaber said.
He added that the present transfer market had, in some cases, moved a long way from the actual footballing value of the players involved.
Al-Jaber used Summerville’s move as a specific example. He acknowledged that the Dutch winger had considerable ability and could become an important player in the future, but said the fee paid for him was excessive.
“The current prices are extremely illogical. Summerville does not deserve €65m. He is an excellent player with a future, but the amount paid for him is a big figure,” Al-Jaber said.
His comments were made in the context of a wider criticism of the way transfer valuations are determined. Al-Jaber said a player’s technical assessment should be considered separately from the prices demanded by selling clubs in the transfer market.
The former Al-Hilal captain also stressed that the issue extended beyond his former club. In his view, high fees had become a broader feature of the Saudi Pro League, with transfer values rising sharply compared with those seen several years ago.
He warned that continuing to pay such large sums could create greater problems for Saudi clubs in the future. If European clubs come to regard the Saudi market as willing to meet inflated asking prices, negotiations for future signings could become even more difficult financially.
“Al-Hilal and other clubs are paying huge sums of money, and this will create great difficulty in the future when it comes to attracting stars,” Al-Jaber said.
He cautioned that current fees could eventually become an accepted benchmark, leaving Saudi clubs with less room to reduce their spending or negotiate lower prices.
A clip of the discussion shared on social media carried a further comment attributed to Al-Jaber: “I don’t think Summerville deserves €65m. Can he, for example, be compared with the player Pedro Neto? We have become a target for many in the Saudi League financially.”
The remarks have added to an ongoing debate about how Saudi Pro League clubs should manage the transfer market. Competition for high-profile players is increasingly being shaped not only by their footballing quality, but also by the ability of clubs to cope with escalating fees while maintaining sustainable spending.
Al-Jaber’s appearance was broadcast on MBC1 as part of “Nadina”, which airs at 23:00 Saudi Arabia time.
