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Ben Palmer

Mon 11 August 2025 19:00, UK

Chelsea and other Premier League clubs may be running out of time to sell their unwanted players to Saudi Pro League sides.

That is according to football finance expert Dan Plumley, who told Football Insider exclusively that Saudi Arabian clubs will continue to buy big-name players for now, but that door may close in the coming years.

Chelsea received a record-breaking fine from UEFA this summer for failing to comply with their financial rules, and only avoided a similar sanction from the Premier League after selling their women’s team to their owners, BlueCo.

N’Golo Kante left Chelsea for Saudi Arabia in 2023.

Should the Blues fail to continue to comply with the European governing body’s rules, they will be slapped with more fines, and the possibility of a ban from European competition is on the cards.

However, Chelsea have been able to sell several players to the Middle East in recent years, thus alleviating their financial woes.

Joao Felix joined Al-Nassr this summer for a package worth €50million (£43.3m) according to The Athletic, becoming the latest Chelsea player to make the move to the SPL after Angelo, N’Golo Kante, and Kalidou Koulibaly.

This article contains exclusive comment from Dan Plumley, a football finance expert and senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University.

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The Saudi Arabian transfers have been a useful tool for many of Europe’s top clubs, helping them rid themselves of expensive mistakes or avoid punishments for overspending.

But that door may close after the 2030 World Cup, which is due to take place in Saudi Arabia, as the strategy may change after the competition and funding may be reduced, Plumley told Football Insider exclusively.

Joao Felix left Chelsea this summer after an underwhelming second spell in West London.

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He said: “The Saudi Pro League needs those kinds of players to keep developing their league.

“I do think they’re looking at 2030 as their vision for their kingdom’s new strategy.

“We’ve still got a few years left of this playing out, and I think it’s likely we see a little bit more of it in the future.”

With the threat of further UEFA sanctions a possibility, the Blues may look to offload some of their high-value players this summer.

One of those could be Newcastle target Nicolas Jackson, who could push to leave on a reduced fee, Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider exclusively.

Nicolas Jackson has fallen out of favour at Chelsea.
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