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£630,000 watch, £250,000 hotel suite, luxury plane to travel … What luxuries did Kylian Mbappe miss by not going to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal?
Kylian Mbappé has reportedly refused to meet with representatives of Saudi Arabian football team Al-Hilal, which has made a world record $332 million bid for the France striker.
Written by Sayak Dutta
Updated: July 29, 2023 07:06 IST
Kylian Mbappe in action for PSG. (Reuters)
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£630,000 watch, £250,000 hotel suite, luxury plane to travel … What luxuries did Kylian Mbappe miss by not going to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal?
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Al Hilal may have failed to tempt Kylian Mbappe to join the likes of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and N’Golo Kante in the Saudi Pro League but they have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Italian midfielder Marco Verratti from PSG. But what is drawing the players from Europe like moths to flames to the Saudi league which is a step down in terms of quality? Is it just the boatloads of money or a chance for these players to experience a lavish lifestyle that they might not even dreamt of when they were starting their careers? Let’s find out.
The quality of life that exists in Saudi Arabia is dreamlike and the players are treated like the kings of the continent. Take a look at how Ronaldo leads his life: As per the Daily Mail, the Portuguese icon was given a £630,000 watch when he arrived at Al Nassr. The report also stated that the watch has 338 gemstones and is 18 carats of pure white gold as well as containing tsavorite, an expensive calcium-aluminium garnet.
He also made a luxurious residence in Riyadh his home which is the Four Season hotel’s Kingdom Suite, spread over two floors with a breathtaking panoramic view of the city, according to the Daily Mail.
The plush suite of the Four Seasons hotel, where Ronaldo initially stayed, covered more than 3000ft and cost more than £250,000. He later moved into a luxury mansion which boasts of high-level security and has easy access to shops, restaurants as well gyms, according to reports.
A couple of months ago, the former Manchester United player Odion Ighalo also shared a glimpse of what players can expect in the Kingdom. Ighalo, who plied his trade at Al Hilal before leaving this summer, had shared a video where he was in a luxury plane along with his teammates. The flight had a dining table as well as a golden throne and reportedly cost £173m.
If Mbappe had chosen to come to Al Hilal, this was the kind of lifestyle he would have been treated to. It would have been a bigger deal than Ronaldo’s arrival as Mbappe is a player reaching his prime with his best days ahead of him. It would have been a statement signing for the Saudi Pro League if it could prise away one of the best players in the world from the clutches of Europe.
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But Mbappe chose to remain in Europe and his Saudi story might just be relegated to the pages of what could have been.
First published on: 28-07-2023 at 12:17 IST
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