Saudi Arabia has garnered a reputation over the last couple of years in the football world for signing some of the biggest stars on huge wage packets.
Some of the superstars to make the switch to the Middle East included Ballon d’Or winners Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, World Cup winner N’Golo Kante and Champions League-winning former Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
But one move that has gone under the radar is the astonishing transfer of TNS Centre Forward Brad Young to Saudi Pro League side Al-Orobah.
He moves on a three-year deal for £190,000 which is a record fee received by a Welsh League club.
Young finished last season as the Cymru Premier League’s top goal scorer with 22 goals, which helped The New Saints become the first Welsh League club to ever qualify for a European competition with them playing in the Conference League this season.
His former teammate Josh Lock said that despite the Solihull-born forward’s limited time in North Wales, his impact and talent was unquestionable.
He said: “Brad’s a great player, he was only with us for a year or so but the number of goals he scored and the performances he put in throughout the season shows that.”
It’s been quite a month for Young who went from preparing to play to Aberystwyth to lining up in one of the world’s most talked-about leagues.
But the question on a lot of fans mind is why have a Saudi club been scouting in North Wales?
The easy answer is those running the Saudi Pro League have started to adopt a new transfer policy.
Learning from the mistakes the Chinese Super League made, which was signing veterans who were in their twilight years, Saudi owners are looking to sign younger prospects like Gabri Veiga and Mohammed Simakan, with the idea these youth players will develop into world beaters across a 10-year plan.
This goes hand in hand with the ambition to build their reputation enough to host the 2034 World Cup.
TNS youth prospect Lock gave an insight into how Young’s move will impact the league.
“I think that this move will be great for Welsh football, it’s gotten people talking and will attract more eyes to the league,” he said.
Young hasn’t had an easy start to his young career, despite only being 21 he has been through a lot.
While he was a scholar at Aston Villa in May, 2020 his career and life were threatened when he was stabbed three times, with one of the wounds catching an artery and leaving him fighting to survive.
But miraculously he made a full recovery and went on to win the FA Youth cup with Villa in 2021.
Since his big move has been announced a few people have been critical of him for leaving Europe at such a young age for financial gain.
His reported wage according to Al- Orobahs’ wage report is £1.8 million per year tax free. This is a 3,500% increase on his reported wage of £26,000 a year at TNS.
His former teammate Lock added that football is a job, and the money to play out in the Middle East can be life changing, especially for players at a lower level.
He said. “At this level we play to make a living. He’s been offered life changing money to play the game that he loves, I don’t blame him one bit for going, it would be a dream come true. He’s playing in a warm country against some of the most talented players in the game.”
He’s not the only player from the English leagues to find themselves at Al-Orobah. Young is now training with former Chelsea centre back Kurt Zouma and former Fulham and Hull City midfielder Jean- Michael Seri.
He’s certainly made a peculiar career switch, but it makes a great advert for the Cymru Premier League, and now more eyes will be on TNS in their fairytale trip into European Football.
