Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has given his opinion on players joining the Saudi Pro League.
As they prepare to take on Fulham in the Premier League, Arteta was asked about their striker Aleksandar Mitrovic signing for Al-Hilal this summer.
Arteta admitted that it means players have other options, besides European football, to make good money playing the sport.
He told reporters: It is another competitor and it brings other opportunities for players, for managers and for people that work in the industry to decide.
In the end, we are free to decide when clubs, players or whoever has to agree to something, you have to have the intention to go and find agreements, that is why there are contracts.
If people agree to go it is because someone agrees to go there but that someone agreed to sell him, so it goes two or three different ways."
He added on Saudi funds: Well yes because a player to be willing to go and a club has to be willing to sell him. So we still have choices and contractually, especially in this country, where there are no release clauses, you are very protected.
In the end I don't think all responsibility is for them, they have the resources. We have to compare. In other countries they will look at the Premier League and say 'if a Premier League club comes in we are dead'. Yes, but there are still a lot of things that need to happen. It is another competitor that is for sure."