Ones To Watch - The foreign imports eager to stand out in 2023-24 RSL restart

If you thought the first half of the Roshn Saudi League was exciting, just wait for what is to come.

As the title race picks up after the hiatus for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, there is so much to look forward to over the coming three months as we conclude the 2023-24 RSL season.

Once again, the big names will be in the middle of all the action, and we’ve picked out some of the stars you should be keeping an eye on ahead of the league’s resumption this week.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Al Nassr

The 39-year-old shows no signs of slowing down for Al Nassr as they look to keep track with Al Hilal at the top of the table. With 20 goals and nine assists to his name, Ronaldo has been the league’s most prolific player and, if Al Nassr are to mount a challenge to Al Hilal, then the five time Ballon d’Or winner will be front and centre as you’d expect.

Aleksandar Mitrovic - Al Hilal

The Serbian striker hasn’t missed a beat since arriving at Al Hilal from Fulham in the summer transfer window. With 17 goals to his name, including a stunning hat-trick against Al Ittihad in September, his goals are a large part of why the record Saudi top-flight winners hold a seven-point lead at the top of the table.

Georges-Kevin N'Koudou - Damac

The Cameroon international has been a revelation this season since joining Damac from Turkish side Besiktas. The 28-year-old, who previously played for both Tottenham Hotspur and Marseille, was in a rich vein of scoring form before the break, with 11 goals in his past 10 matches, including a run of eight goals in four games, and will be desperate to pick up where he left off.

Bernard Mensah - Al Tai

While his side sit in the relegation zone, it’s not from a want of trying from the Ghanaian international. Named November’s RSL Player of the Month, Mensah’s nine goals have been invaluable and, if the Ha’il club are to avoid relegation this season, he will have a large role to play in their survival.

Abderrazak Hamdallah - Al Ittihad

He may now be 33, but the Moroccan international still can’t stop scoring, hitting double figures for the sixth straight season. His 10 goals this campaign also take him to third on the all-time goal scorers list behind only Omar Al Somah and Nasser Al Shamrani, with 121 goals. As Al Ittihad eye an improved second half of the season, Hamdallah will be one of their most important players in doing so. 

Ivan Rakitic - Al Shabab

One of the new arrivals to the RSL, the signing of the former FC Barcelona and Sevilla star is a major coup for the league and Al Shabab. Regarded as one of Croatia’s greatest-ever players, the 35-year-old amassed 200 appearances for Barcelona in a trophy-laden stint that included four La Liga titles and a UEFA Champions League, adding two UEFA Europa League titles with Sevilla for good measure.

Riyad Mahrez - Al Ahli

The Algerian international has been as good as you would expect for Al Ahli after arriving from Manchester City in the summer, showing he hasn’t lost any of the touch that made him one of the world’s best. With seven assists to his name, Mahrez has also created the most chances of any player in the league and shown his leadership qualities both on and off the pitch. 

Alvaro Medran - Al Ettifaq

A large part of Al Taawoun’s brilliant first half of the season, the Spaniard’s move to Al Ettifaq is a coup for Steven Gerrard as he looks to turn around a disappointing 2023-24 campaign thus far for the Dammam outfit. A product of Real Madrid, the silky midfielder already has eight assists to his name this season and will be expected to play a leading role in reversing Al Ettifaq’s fortunes.

Gabri Veiga - Al Ahli

The young Spanish star has shown flashes of the brilliance that made him so sought after during the summer transfer window. Still only 21 years old, the former Celta Vigo attacking midfielder has admitted it took him time to adjust to his new surroundings in Jeddah. So, with the settling-in period out of the way, plenty will be expected from the exciting youngster in the back half of the season.

Craig Goodwin - Al Wehda

The Australian international has been in good goal-scoring form for Al Wehda since returning to the club at the start of the season. Six goals in 14 matches represents an impressive return for the winger who will land back at Al Wehda full of confidence after scoring twice for Australia at the AFC Asian Cup, including in their narrow quarter-final loss to Korea Republic.