Are players being recruited to the Saudi Pro League via job ads?

Spanish media have spotted a curious story. Journalists noticed an unusual listing on Futboljobs — a Spanish website that posts football-related vacancies and is often described as a “LinkedIn for football.”

An unnamed Saudi Pro League club is looking for a defensive midfielder. The salary on offer ranges from €600,000 to €1 million per year.

The requirements are equally eye-catching: experience in a comparable or higher-level league, video highlights to prove quality, and a link to the player’s Transfermarkt profile.

The player must be a free agent. Other options are possible if the agent owns 100% of the player’s rights.

Overall, Futboljobs is a surprisingly addictive site. There are loads of listings — not only for players, but also for coaches, lawyers, marketers, finance specialists and even club directors, all within football.

Scrolling through player vacancies specifically, you won’t find Bayern Munich or Real Madrid posting ads there, of course. But there are plenty of interesting offers. Some listings are reportedly looking for two players for clubs in Serie A, MLS, and Portugal.

The salary ranges are just as revealing. In South Korea, one club was offering $25,000 per month, provided the player’s transfer value is between $800k and $1m. Bologna were reportedly searching for an 18-year-old player with a minimum valuation of €100k, promising a “competitive” salary.

An Austrian Bundesliga club is offering €10,000 per month before tax (EU passport required). A club in Spain’s Segunda División is looking for a striker valued close to €1m, with a salary of €8,000–9,000 per month.

In MLS listings, the numbers go higher: $400,000 per year for a right-back and $800,000 for a defensive midfielder.

Even Croatia pops up. In the top division, clubs are offering around €10,000 per month. There’s even a vacancy from the fourth tier — much more modest at $300 per month, but with accommodation covered by the club.

Football’s global job market, it turns out, looks a lot more like a classifieds section than most fans imagine.

Published by Patrick Jane
22.01.2026