it s been the summer of saudi football transfers. players like roberto firmino, edouard mendy and riyad mahrez have alljoined al ahly, one of four major saudi football clubs recently ta ken over by the country s public investment fund, which also bought english club newcastle united last year. one of the game s biggest stars, cristiano ronaldo, now earns a reported 175 million a season playing for al nasr, who have just poached his former real madrid teammate, karim benzema. but it s the possibility of france captain kylian mbappejoining the leading saudi side al hilal for an eye watering transfer fee, rumoured to be around 259 million, which just put the saudi s sports stronghold back in the public discourse. but it s notjust football that the gulf kingdom is focused on, and allegations of sportswashing have been rife. big ticket events like formula one,