Three top players from Barca and Man City refused transfers to Saudi Arabia in the summer

Not all players who had offers from Saudi Arabia agreed to move to the Pro League last summer.

According to well-known insider Fabrizio Romano, three players who currently play for Real Madrid and Manchester City did not want to leave their current clubs.

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne refused an offer from Saudi Arabia almost immediately after the UEFA Champions League final 2023. However, the Belgian footballer said that he wants to stay in Europe and continue to fight for trophies with Man City.

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski also received an offer. However, the Polish forward did not even consider the option of moving: he only wants to play for Barça, so he immediately rejected even preliminary negotiations.

Ilkay Gundogan was a free agent this summer, so he could join any club for free. He received offers to stay at Man City, as well as to move to Barcelona or one of the unnamed clubs in Saudi Arabia. Gundogan decided to “follow his dream” and play for Barça.

Separately, Romano adds that David Alaba also did not plan to leave Real Madrid in the summer: the player and the club are satisfied with the cooperation. However, the insider does not say whether the Austrian defender had an offer from Saudi Arabia.

We previously reported that Saudi Arabian clubs spent almost £800 million on the transfer market last summer.