Sami Al-Jaber says Crysencio Summerville fee shows Saudi clubs are being targeted

Sami Al-Jaber has criticised the rapidly rising cost of transfers, saying Saudi Arabian clubs have become clear targets for agents, intermediaries and European sides seeking to maximise their profits.

The Al Hilal and Saudi Arabia legend was speaking on the television programme Nadina, where he argued that the spending power of clubs in the Roshn Saudi League had contributed to an inflated transfer market.

“Agents, intermediaries and foreign newspapers are the reason for the rise in players’ prices, and Saudi League clubs have become a major target for stars and European teams to make money,” Al-Jaber said.

He added that the fees being demanded in some cases no longer reflected a player’s true footballing value.

Al-Jaber cited the transfer of Netherlands international Crysencio Summerville as an example. He acknowledged that the former West Ham player had considerable ability and could become an important figure in the future, but said the fee paid for him was excessive.

“The current prices are extremely illogical. Summerville is not worth €65m. He is an excellent player with a future, but the amount paid for him is huge,” Al-Jaber said.

His comments came as he questioned whether the technical assessment of a player was being kept separate from the financial demands of the transfer market.

Al-Jaber said Al Hilal were not the only Saudi club paying significant sums for new players. He argued that inflated fees had become a wider feature of the domestic league, with transfer values rising sharply compared with those seen several years ago.

He warned that continuing with the same approach could create greater difficulties for Saudi clubs in the future. Paying large sums, he said, would encourage European clubs to raise their expectations whenever they negotiated with teams from Saudi Arabia, making future deals more difficult and expensive to complete.

“Huge amounts are being paid by Al Hilal and other clubs, and this will create great difficulty in the future when it comes to attracting stars,” Al-Jaber said.

He cautioned that the current prices could eventually become an accepted benchmark, leaving Saudi clubs with little room to reduce their spending without facing increased demands from selling teams.

In a post shared alongside a video of his appearance, Al-Jaber also questioned whether Summerville’s valuation could be compared with that of Pedro Neto.

“I do not think Summerville is worth €65m. Can he, for example, be compared with Pedro Neto? We have become a target for many people in the Saudi League financially,” he said.

The discussion raises wider questions about how clubs in the Roshn Saudi League should manage recruitment. Competition for high-profile players is increasingly being shaped not only by footballing quality, but also by the ability to meet escalating fees while keeping spending sustainable.

Al-Jaber’s comments were broadcast on MBC1 as part of Nadina, which airs daily at 23:00 Saudi Arabia time.