The Saudi Pro League has signed players from each of the top leagues in Europe and much of the world for massive fees. Each transfer window, there are new reports linking some of the world’s best players to the upstart league with seemingly endless funds. Yet, the latest arrival in the Saudi Pro League is coming from a team that ranks 750th in the world.
Welsh side The New Saints have sold striker Brad Young to Al-Orobah in the Saudi Pro League. The Middle Eastern side is paying The New Saints a fee in the realm of $250,000. For those who may be unfamiliar with the Cymru Premier League, or the Welsh Premier League, Young was the top scorer last season. While leading the line for TNS, Young scored 22 goals to lead the league. That led to The New Saints winning the Cymru Premier League title.
As a result, The New Saints earned a spot in the qualifying stages for the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League. Young scored home and away against Montenegrin side Decic. However, The New Saints fell against Ferencvaros in the second round. Still, the Welsh side won its Conference League playoff against Lithuanian outfit Panevėžys. It will play in the league phase, or first full round, of European competition for the first round in the club’s history.
Brad Young will not take part, as he is on his way to Al-Orobah. The Saudi side currently sits 15th in the table of 18 clubs in the early stages of the 2024/25 season. Al-Orobah only came up from the second tier of Saudi Arabian soccer after promotion last season. As a result, Young will go from playing Barry Town United and Penybont to facing Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal. Those two clubs have players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sadio Mane.
Brad Young said he jumped at the opportunity to play against so many of the most recognizable names in world soccer. In truth, he never thought the deal would get done. TNS ranks at No. 750 in the Opta World Rankings. This collectively ranks each professional soccer club in the world for how strong they are right now. Despite being the best team in the Cymru Premier, TNS is still a smaller club. Now, he will make a massive jump in his career to play against two teams in the top 100.
Therefore, he is grateful it got over the line and he can continue the next chapter of his playing career in Saudi Arabia.
“It’s a big opportunity for me playing in the likes of the same league as Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema and Neymar,” Young told Sky Sports.
Young anticipated the move so much that he sat out of The New Saints’ second-leg playoff against Panevėžys to ensure he did not pick up an injury. Fortunately for TNS, the side did enough to reach the league phase of the Conference League.
Young will not have to wait long, either, before coming up against one of the biggest teams in the Saudi Pro League. In one month, Al-Orobah will travel to Al-Nassr in a league matchup in the Saudi Pro League. That means Young will have the chance to share the field with Cristiano Ronaldo.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
