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MANCHESTER, England — A lavish spending spree that has seen Saudi Arabia lure some of soccer's biggest stars to the oil-rich kingdom will come to a halt on Thursday when its transfer window shuts. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema have been the most notable signings of an ambitious recruitment drive that has shaken up the sport. There were also attempts to land Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Mo Salah. More marquee names could still head to the Saudi League before the window closes. Salah has repeatedly linked with a move to defending champion Al-Ittihad. Liverpool reportedly rejected a bid worth $188 million before last week's European transfer deadline but Al-Ittihad could come back with an even higher offer to try to get the deal done.
