Saudi Arabia’s lavish recruitment drive rolls on despite Messi miss

By JAMES ROBSON
AP Soccer Writer

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Missing out on Lionel Messi hasn’t slowed Saudi Arabia’s ambitious recruitment drive as the oil-rich kingdom tries to establish itself as a viable destination for the world’s top players. Having already lured two of the sport’s biggest stars in Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, the Saudis are brushing off allegations of sportswashing to target a host of other high-profile players from Europe’s best leagues. World Cup and Champions League winner N’Golo Kante became the latest stellar player to head to the lucrative Pro League, signing a three-year contract Wednesday to team up with Benzema at Al-Ittihad. Messi opted for Inter Miami, rather than the Middle East, but Premier League stars like Hakim Ziyech, Kalidou Koulibaly and Ruben Neves are expected to follow Kante this summer.