PSG accept Al Hilal £259m offer for Mbappe, why Saudi Pro League dey sign European stars?

Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal don get permission to follow Kylian Mbappe tok afta dem make world record £259m bid for di Paris St-Germain forward.

Di 24-year-old France captain, wey get one year left on im contract, don refuse to sign extension for di French champions and dem no select am for dia pre-season tour to Japan.

PSG wan sell Mbappe now instead make dem see am leave for free next summer.

Mbappe don join di latest premier leagues players wey dey linked to di Saudi pro league clubs eye.

Saudi Pro League teams don make many headlines dis summer, as stars like Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Ruben Neves don join Cristiano Ronaldo for di kontri.

So many players - and managers- recently don move go Saudi Arabia and e dey hard to keep up wit who dey go next.

Why Saudi Pro League dey sign European stars?

Gary Neville fit don ask di Premier League to pause players transfers go Saudi Arabia for "integrity" reasons, but so far, sign no dey e go stop as clubs and players still dey sign deals.

Last Friday, 26-year-old Wolves captain Ruben Neves join Al-Hilal for £47m, a record for di Molineux club.

And Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech follow for di big European name wey don join di Saudi Pro League.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante don already sign up. Speculation bin dey say Lionel Messi too wan join before e move go US.

But a growing number of players for dia peak dey attract interest too, including Arsenal player Thomas Partey.

E underline di league ambition to be one of di top five for di world.

Former Manchester United and England defender Neville, dey among those wey dey ask say wetin all dis potential activity mean.

For June, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), wey get Newcastle United, confam say dem dey take over four leading clubs for di kontri, including Al-Nassr, wey sign Ronaldo for December.

E neva clear if PIF get stakes for Chelsea ultimate owners, although club sources don reject suggestions say dem get any direct involvement.

"Make di Premier League put instant embargo on transfers go Saudi Arabia to ensure say dem no spoil di integrity of di game, Neville tell BBC Sport earlier dis week.

Wetin be di pedigree of di league?

Saudi Arabia bin don always get big interest for football - plus competitive league to go wit am.

Di national team don qualify for six out of di past eight World Cups. Dem don win three Asian Cups – na only Japan get more.

For di Qatar World Cup last year, all 26 members of di squad bin play for di domestic clubs. No club don win di AFC Champions League pass Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal four victories.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia don increase dia presence on di sporting scene, dem host Formula 1 races and high-profile world title boxing bouts plus set up LIV Golf.

Say Saudi Arabia buy Newcastle na further evidence say di kontri growing interest for sport na to project Saudi Arabia to a wider audience. Di kontri dey even plan joint 2030 World Cup bid wit Egypt and Greece.

"Saudi Arabia dey see demsef like say e dey di centre of a new world order and investing in sport go help contribute to dat national positioning," Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy for Skema Business School for Paris, dey quoted recently.

Improving di Saudi Arabian league dey part of dat plan – wit di help of high-profile names.

Dis na anoda Chinese Super League?

Wen a league become big player for di world transfer market, questions about dia financial sustainability go follow.

Di Chinese Super League, for a brief period, bin attract plenty interest and dem pay plenty money to attract high-profile players, like former Manchester United and City forward Carlos Tevez. Such levels of spending no last.

But di Saudi Pro League believe say dia own foundation solid well-well.

"Di league dey well established, e don dey since di 1970s, and di clubs get real fanbase wey care about football wey make am to dey authentic and not artificial," one senior league source tell BBC Sport.

"Wen e happun for China, no be goment money dem dey spend. Dem bin dey encourage entrepreneurs to do tins. Den e stop.

"Here di funding dey more secure and part of a long-term plan. Di clubs dey well established for di local communities and football across di kontri na by far di number one sport.

"Although di league get fair amount of foreign players, Na di big stars go give you worldwide TV coverage. As soon as Ronaldo come in, di league begin dey show for evri major market. E dey get dat immediate attention.

"Di announcement say PIF go get 75% of di top four clubs instead of di goment turn dem into beta business. No be just to bring top players but also na about changing di economy of di game here, to make am dey more private sector and develop clubs and companies and brands.

"Ronaldo transfer prove say e fit happun. Na one tin to say 'we go sign di best players for di world' but for someone of Ronaldo status to actually come, live in Riyadh and play evri game, bin come as surprise to pipo and e show say we fit get oda pipo to come."

Europe dey worry about talent drain?

For European football, di rise of the Saudi Pro League dey come as a challenge.

Losing key players no be new experience - China and Major League Soccer bin don tempt stars away in di past. However, di departure of players for dia prime, like Neves, na mata of concern.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin tell Dutch broadcaster NOS say, "Saudi Arabian football dey do mistake. Dem for invest for academies, bring dia own coaches and develop dia own players.

"Di system of buying players wey dey for almost di end of dia career no be di system wey dey develop football. Na di same mistake wey China make be dat wen dem buy all di players wey dey di end of dia career.

"No be only about money. Players wan win top competitions. And di top competition dey for Europe."