The European transfer window for the summer of 2025 has officially shut, after clubs spent record values of transfer fees on players across the last two months.
Premier League clubs in particular were highly active at a level never seen before, with Liverpool alone breaking the English transfer record twice in the same summer.
While clubs in major European leagues can no longer add new players, they can still offload players to clubs in leagues where the registration period remains open. One such league is the Saudi Pro League, which has positioned itself as an option for clubs still looking to shed extra players and earn cash to balance the books.
The Sporting News details when the Saudi Pro League transfer window is open until, and why it has remained open longer than the traditional European time frame.
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When does the Saudi transfer window close?
The 2025 summer transfer window for the Saudi Pro League does not close until Tuesday, September 23.
This is a full three weeks after the European transfer window closed on Monday, September 1.
Why does the Saudi Pro League transfer window close later?
The Saudi Pro League has structured its transfer window to close later than the European window for one key reason.
Often, Saudi clubs have targeted European stars who have significant popularity but are struggling at their current club and want to sort out something new. Using seemingly unlimited funds, they lure players with massive paydays while providing clubs an opportunity to balance their books by cashing in on unwanted players who might otherwise not draw significant interest from other European clubs.
This strategy plays even better by remaining open after the European window closes. By providing a last-ditch option to European clubs selling players, the Saudi league places itself in a unique position to help European clubs offload players that might be either disgruntled or on the fringes of their squad.
Once clubs have concluded their incoming business and set their depth charts, they can identify certain players which may no longer be viable options.
Additionally, from a club perspective, when teams finalise their financials after the window closes, they can determine if they need to generate more incoming funds.
