Scout Report: The stars of Saudi Arabia’s Pro League

Cristiano Ronaldo’s shock move to Al-Nassr has catapulted the Saudi Pro League to prominence.

Since his switch, a raft of top players have followed suit, including Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante, while a host of others have been linked.

As a result, we have used the Twenty3 Toolbox to pick out five of the most talented players already plying their trade in the division that Ronaldo and co. will be playing with or against.

Firas Al Buraikan

Firas Al Buraikan is one of the league’s most promising young players.

The 23-year-old will be hoping to challenge the likes of Benzema and Ronaldo for the title of top scorer next season, having netted 17 goals for Al Fateh in 2022-23 – only one of which came from the penalty spot – and finishing fourth in the race.

Every one of his finishes came from inside the box, and his 17 goals came from a mere 48 efforts – outside the division’s top 20 – and 29 on target, evidencing his poacher’s instincts and clinical finishing.

Additionally, he registered 15 headed efforts, highlighting his aerial threat.

He can create chances for himself, too, using his smooth technique to complete 29 of his 54 dribbles.

Al Buraika is smooth with the ball at his feet to create opportunities for himself, completing 29 dribbles from 54 attempts.

Expect to see his signature air-guitar celebration with plenty of frequency as he tests himself against some of the game’s greatest-ever strikers.

Igor Coronado

Igor Coronado, 30, is an attacking midfielder who was the driving force behind Al-Ittihad’s title triumph last season.

The classy creator finished second in the assist charts with 12 and also chipped in with six goals.

His scanning ability and vision saw him record 37 successful through-balls from 99 attempts – no one in the division managed more.

Coronado also assisted 70 shots, completed 24 of his 27 attempted key passes and recorded 38 successful link-up plays.

Supported by Kante and with Benzema to target, Coronado may have to give up some of the spotlight – but his already impressive creative numbers could be in for a boost as Ittihad Club look to defend their title.

Gustavo Cuéllar

Gustavo Cuéllar is Al Hilal’s defensive rock at the base of midfield.

Following the 30-year-old’s arrival from Flamengo, the Riyadh-based side won the Saudi Pro League three times in succession. This term was his first without triumph. 

He shines out of possession, offering hard-nosed defensive work – only seven players in the league made more successful defensive actions than his 272.

Cuellar also completed 111 recoveries in the opposition half and racked up 126 interceptions.

The Colombian anchorman is not just a midfield destroyer, however, and boasts plenty of ability with the ball at his feet, completing an impressive 1,940 passes as well as 123 of his 164 attempted long passes.

He also made the fourth-most final third passes (273) – especially impressive in light of his reserved role.

Cuellar will no doubt approach 2023-24 with renewed vigour as he seeks to return to the summit of Saudi football.

Ghislain Konan

Al-Nassr boast plenty of stars within their ranks, and Ghislain Konan has been amongst their top performers at the back.

The Ivorian left-back joined after four seasons at Reims and plays a crucial role in possession for his club, receiving 1,309 passes – the fifth-most in the division.

Konan frequently drags his team forward from deep, completing an impressive 73 of his 99 attempted dribbles and recording 110 progressive runs – making him one of the division’s standout ball carriers.

When he gets into advanced areas, he wastes no time in getting the ball into the box, 

completing a league-high 62 crosses and assisting 28 shots, although he has been rewarded with just two assists.

Defensively the 27-year-old’s numbers are equally impressive. He dominates his duels, winning 73.21% of his 168 defensive duels and regaining possession 259 times.

His all-round game makes him one of the division’s standout talents and will certainly be one to watch in 2023-24.

Hassan Tambakti

Centre-back Hassan Tambakti is likely to be a busy man next season – he will be contending with a raft of quality new arrivals.

Another promising player from Saudi Arabia who made two appearances at the 2022 World Cup, including their famous victory over Argentina.

The Al Shabab star is proactive in defence, succeeding with 290 of his 345 attempted defensive actions.

His ball-winning intent is clear to see – he made 134 interceptions and won 29 loose ball duels while also regaining possession an impressive 268 times.

Tambakti’s disciplinary record is impeccable, too – he picked up just two yellow cards from 28 fouls committed in 2,592 minutes.

What’s more, he is a capable distributor – as most modern centre-backs are asked to be.

The 24-year-old completed 1,253 passes at an accuracy of 91.66% and connected with 74 of his 116 attempted long passes.

However, he is still raw and can be pressured into mistakes – he lost the ball in a dangerous area 18 times and can certainly improve in this area.

Still, he is among the most promising Saudi players in the league and his nation will take great pride in his development as he tests himself against some of Europe’s arriving elite.

All visualisations and Smart Reports in this article were produced with the Twenty3 Toolbox. For more information, please get in touch below.