00:00 If summer 2023 was about landing high-profile players lured by the riches on offer,
00:07 then January 2024 was about the Saudi pro league trying to keep hold of them.
00:11 It has quickly become clear that the marquee signings are appearing unhappy at their Saudi clubs.
00:17 Jordan Henderson departed from Al Etifak for Dutch side Ajax.
00:21 Karim Benzema missed Al Etifak's final training session before the winter break.
00:25 And many other big names are open to moving back to Europe.
00:29 The Saudi government, as part of the Vision 2030 project, is developing the Red Sea,
00:35 which they believe will help them overtake Dubai as the Middle East's premier tourist destination.
00:40 Americ Laporte, who is now a team-mate of Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nusr,
00:45 did not hold back in his criticisms on the Saudi project.
00:49 "They have not made it easy for us. In fact, there are many players that are discontented.
00:54 Maybe they are not used to this and have to adapt to a little more seriousness."
00:59 [BLANK_AUDIO]
