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| Barca's innovative terms in Pedri's contract | Photo: AFP |
Barcelona may have found a new way to stop top European players from making high-profile moves to Saudi Arabian clubs. This innovative approach dubbed the "Anti-Saudi Clause," was recently introduced in the contract extension of Spanish midfielder Pedri.
Over the past few years, Saudi clubs have aggressively lured players away from European football by offering lucrative contracts. This trend began with Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr, followed by stars like Karim Benzema, Neymar, Sadio Mané, and Roberto Firmino. The growing influence of Saudi clubs even alarmed top managers like Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, who voiced concerns about losing talent to the Middle East.
Recently, Aston Villa’s 21-year-old Colombian striker Jhon Durán became the latest young talent to leave Europe, signing a £71 million deal with Al Nassr. The financial power of Saudi clubs has made it difficult for European teams to retain their best players, as they could trigger release clauses and secure signings with ease.
Barcelona’s response? A contractual safeguard that prevents Saudi clubs from triggering a player’s release clause outright. Traditionally, if a club meets the release clause amount, they can sign the player without needing the selling club’s approval.
However, with the "Anti-Saudi Clause," Barcelona now has the authority to block such moves, even if the full release clause is met.
Pedri’s contract reportedly includes a €1 billion release clause, but this new provision ensures that Saudi clubs cannot automatically acquire him. If this strategy proves effective, other top European clubs may adopt similar measures to protect their key players from Saudi interest.