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The Men’s A-League kicks off this week and if fans were looking for an Alessandro Del Piero-like figure to boost interest in the competition, they might be disappointed.

Football’s transfer system has been upended by the influx of money from Saudi Arabia, whose clubs have spent almost $1.58 billion over the past four months.

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have set aside a sum of money to attract big names to Australia in a bid to replicate the effect Italian star Del Piero had while playing for Sydney FC from 2012 to 2014.

But since the APL took control of the ALM from Football Australia in 2021, top recruits – such as Daniel Sturridge and Nani – have failed rather than thrived.

And as PLA chief executive Danny Townsend would have it, its spending power pales in comparison to the large sums of money on offer in the Middle East, where superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, N’Golo Kante and even A-League veteran Craig Goodwin have signed recently.

“I think where it probably affects us is with the players who are 34 or 35 years old who have been our usual targets and are now going to Saudi Arabia,” Townsend said.

“It makes things a little more difficult for us.”

Australian clubs have responded accordingly and their international signings now appear to reflect their position in the global transfer market, signing players with potential rather than those looking for a vacation or an opportunity to be a big fish in a smaller pond.