The Saudi league went crazy this summer, drawing in big-name stars like Neymar, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mane. Cristiano Ronaldo had already joined the Gulf kingdom the previous winter, and the Saudi Pro League looked like it was on the rise.
But despite the influx of talent, some European stars quickly expressed their confusion about why players would choose to go to the Middle East.
That sentiment is still alive and well today. Yesterday, Federico Valverde “noped” out of a potential move to Saudi Arabia in a fiery interview with Movistar.
“There’s no chance I’m going to the Saudi league,” Valverde said. “Ten, twenty, or thirty million dollars wouldn’t change my life. I’m at Real Madrid, the best club in the world. I love my life in Madrid, my family loves it here, and that’s all that matters.”
Valverde’s strong words are a reminder that not all players are chasing money. Some players are driven by a desire to win trophies and play for the best teams in the world.
Given Valverde’s impressive performances for Real Madrid this season, it seems unlikely that the Spanish club will sell him anytime soon.
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