Saudis Line Up Outrageous Bid For 'Biggest Signing Since Cristiano Ronaldo'

Saudi officials are 'laying the groundwork' for a move to sign one of the biggest names in world football, with preliminary inquiries being made to try and make a transfer happen.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Saudi will target 50 peak-age foreign signings this summer.

Mohamed Salah and Bruno Fernandes are part of that high-profile shortlist, according to talkSPORT, with Casemiro, Vinicius Junior and Robert Lewandowski also being classed as leading targets.

Aston Villa midfielders Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans, as well as Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli, are also named.

Meanwhile, a number of out-of-contract Saudi Pro League players, including N'Golo Kante, Ruben Neves and Karim Benzema, are among those who could be allowed to depart this summer in order to fund new arrivals.

Karim Benzma, Moussa Diaby and N'Golo Kante pictured in Al Ittihad training. Image credit: Getty

One of the names that didn't feature in the above report was Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele.

Dembele, who won last year's Ballon d'Or after notching 35 goals and 14 assists for PSG last season, is currently intent on helping his side retain both the Champions League and Ligue 1 in the coming months.

But his future beyond this summer's World Cup, and the prospect of a big-money transfer to Saudi Arabia, could be a possibility.

A report from Sky Sports claims senior Saudi figures have made preliminary inquiries about bringing Dembele to the SPL in 2026 and are willing to offer a 'significant package' to try and persuade the Frenchman.

PSG are said to be keen on opening contract talks with Dembele, who has two-and-a-half years left on his current deal.

However, his demands will need to align with the club's wage structure, with Nasser Al Khelaifi sending out a warning this week.

"The club's policy is that we have a salary cap for the players, as everyone knows," Al Khelaifi said. "Everyone must respect it. The team and the club are more important than anyone."

Ousmane Dembele has two-and-a-half years left on his current deal with PSG. Image credit: Getty

If they managed to pull it off, it would be the biggest deal for Saudi Arabia since they signed Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Sky reporter Kaveh Solhekol.

"The Saudi Pro League clubs are anticipating a big summer transfer window and one of the players they are looking to sign is Ousmane Dembele. Could it happen? I think it's a long shot - but the landscape of football in Saudi Arabia is changing," he said.

"For a long time, the clubs were effectively bankrolled and controlled by the state. Then we had the situation where some of the biggest clubs were owned by the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

"Now we're in the situation where clubs are opening up and attracting private investment. So it's not just the case of Saudi state money being invested in these clubs and big-name transfers, it's also private investors who will be using their own money to try and sign players."

Solhekol added: "They may well try and sign him, but whether he would want to go to Saudi Arabia when he's at the peak of his powers remain to be seen."