Al-Hilal at the summit: blue winds that swept everyone aside in the mercato of limited millions

The leader steals the spotlight The summer 2026 transfer window in the Roshn League broke from the pattern of previous years. Saudi clubs turned towards more selective spending, chasing deals that served their needs rather than throwing themselves into an open race for star names. Al-Hilal had other ideas. They set the market alight with three major attacking signings that left them standing alone at the front of the queue. Most clubs moved cautiously. Al-Hilal, by contrast, landed Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal, Crysencio Summerville from West Ham and Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa, filling three of the four most expensive spots on the Roshn League's summer signings list. Martinelli tops the list of most expensive signings, valued at around 70 million euros. His new Al-Hilal team-mate Somerville comes second at 64.5 million euros, with Dutchman Tijjani Reijnders third at 61 million euros after his move to Al-Qadsiah. Al-Hilal crop up again in fourth. English striker Ollie Watkins cost the club's coffers around 58.4 million euros, taking the Blues' share of the four most expensive deals to nearly 193 million euros. You can discuss the topics and news in greater depth on the "Kooora" forums Yet the paradox is this: Al-Hilal's dominance came in a market no longer flush with the financial firepower of previous years. The Roshn League has reordered its priorities, shifting the focus towards younger players who can deliver technical and investment value over the long term. Martinelli and Somerville embody that approach. The former is 25, the latter 24, and Watkins was no older than 30 when he joined Al-Hilal. The big deals this time hinge on players in their prime, not just marquee names winding down their careers. Al-Hilal may have dominated the top of the list, but the other contenders were far from absent in this race of millions. Al-Qadsiah made a big statement by signing Renders for 61 million euros, while Francisco Trincao took fifth spot at close to 39.4 million euros after his move to Al-Ahli. Al-Nassr, by contrast, settled for a single paid deal. They landed Portugal's Samu Costa from Real Mallorca for around 22 million euros. It's a picture that lays bare the gulf in approach between the clubs during this transfer window. The 2026 transfer window told a different story from those years of open spending. The money hasn't disappeared from the Roshn League, but it has become far more selective. Al-Hilal chose to pour the bulk of theirs into attack, landing three of the most prominent names on the market and topping the list of the most expensive deals. Saudi football may have entered a new phase under the banner of "smart spending", yet Al-Hilal proved a point. Changing the rules of the game doesn't mean stepping away from the summit. Sometimes it just means picking the big deals at the moment the money is worth paying. This article first appeared on Goal.com and was syndicated with permission.