Saudi Arabia are reportedly keen on luring some of the Premier League’s best referees to the Middle East in a bid to improve the division.
The Saudi Pro League made headlines this summer after it recruited the game’s biggest names, including Neymar, Karim Benzema, Jordan Henderson, and Ruben Neves.
Not only are players targeted but big-name managers are too being targeted in the Middle East, with Steven Gerrard and Nuno Espirito Santo two of the bigger names in the division.
And as per The Times, Premier League referees are now being sounded out for a potential move to Saudi Arabia. At present, international referees have been used by the Pro League for exceptional matches.
However, it is now thought that the newly minted division is offering season-long contracts for top referees in a move that could cause alarm for leagues in Europe, particularly the Premier League.
How much do referees earn
In the Premier League, which is arguably just as well off as the Saudi Pro League, they offer the referees around £120,000-300,000 per game they referee according to the report.
The Pro League would, however, be prepared to offer more for these top tier referees to take the plunge and manage in the Saudi Pro League.
With the league signing top-quality players and also top-quality managers, it seems just a matter of time before the Pro League takes the top officials from around Europe for their league.
With the spate of top-class players in the league, the league, as a spectacle, has become a lot better and these referees added to the league may well give it the edge and the better viewing that fans around the world would be craving.
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