Sebastian Kehl: Saudi spending has the potential to harm football

Sebastian Kehl has stated that he feels the big spending of clubs in Saudi Arabia has the potential to harm football.

The transfer window has been transformed this summer by the big money being spent by clubs in Saudi Arabia. Several big name footballers have been lured by the lucrative wages on offer in the Saudi Pro League in recent weeks, including the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Sergej Milinković-Savić, and Jordan Henderson.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has admitted that the spending spree of clubs from the Middle East is a cause for concern, adding that it is impossible to rationally justify the money being spent by them.

"In an interview with Kicker, Kehl said: “It is apparent that the gap between the English clubs and the rest of Europe has grown once again. And now another player has been added in Saudi Arabia, which is throwing so much money around that it almost makes you dizzy.”“They are changing the market and making it even more difficult for us to act. After all, it’s no longer just old stars who are going there, but younger players as well. If this continues, football will develop in a direction that will most certainly cause it great harm.”"

Other leagues in Europe already find it impossible to compete with the English Premier League when it comes to spending power and the wages on offer.

Borussia Dortmund have found it somewhat difficult to navigate the transfer market this summer, and were forced to pull out of the race to sign Edson Álvarez due to the high asking price of Ajax. After selling Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid for a fee of more than 100 million euros plus bonuses Jude Bellingham, the Black and Yellows have signed Ramy Bensebaini, Felix Nmecha and Marcel Sabitzer this summer.

Sebastian Kehl is not yet 100% satisfied with Borussia Dortmund’s squad building process. But he knows that it is impossible to implement all the changes he wants to make overnight.