How the Saudi Pro League recruitment committee operates after remit change | OneFootball

Press reports have detailed how the Saudi Pro League’s recruitment committee operates, following anger from some clubs over valuations that have stalled foreign signings.

Arriyadiyah reports the five-strong panel is led by Spaniard Jesus Arroyo, adviser to the league’s chief executive. The other members are Moroccan Zakaria Merdi, Spaniard Vicente Fernandez Bujanti, British national of Indian origin Sanjay Arulchelvam, and Frenchman Romain Pirosky.

Per Arriyadiyah, clubs submit files on prospective foreign recruits to the programme. Specialists scout and price the player, the committee then review the reports and reach a collective recommendation, so no decision rests on a single opinion.

Asharq Al-Awsat says evaluations cover the player’s last five years, minutes, goals, goal involvements, passing accuracy, plus defensive and attacking indicators. Players are compared with team-mates and positional peers in their current league. Market context is also weighed, including past or current offers and like-for-like values in the Saudi league and abroad.

Officials say the mechanism has run for three years, with its use recently tightened and expanded after some inflated windows. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, it is designed to regulate the market and improve spending efficiency, not to block deals. The league stressed clubs may still sign targets if they cover any excess above the committee’s valuation.

Al-Riyadiya reports the committee is not responsible for Al-Nassr’s signing freeze, which stems from financial restrictions. Monitoring finances and issuing efficiency or compliance certificates sit with other bodies, not the committee.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”