Rudan blames Saudis for A-League transfer woes

Saudi Arabia’s arrival as a major player in football’s global transfer market is having a knock-on effect on Australia’s ability to lure overseas recruits to the A-League Men.

Western Sydney Wanderers boss Marko Rudan said the competition was encountering the toughest recruitment period in his memory after a Saudi splurge — estimated to be worth AU$1.41 billion in transfer fees alone — has turned the market upside down. Those eye-watering figures do not include salaries, which pushes the A-League Men further down the pecking order.

Rudan has only been able to add one overseas recruit this off-season — former Leeds United forward Marcus Antonsson — to go alongside his Brazilian…