The A-League Men kicks off this week and if fans were looking for an Alessandro Del Piero-like figure to turbocharge interest in the competition they may be left disappointed.

Football’s transfer system has been turned on its head by the influx of cash from Saudi Arabia, whose clubs have spent close to $1.58 billion in the past four months.

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have a pot of money set aside to lure big names to Australia in a bid to replicate the effect Italian star Del Piero had when he played for Sydney FC from 2012 to 2014.

But in the time since the APL assumed control of the ALM from Football Australia in 2021, the top-draw signings — such as Daniel Sturridge and Nani — have flopped rather than thrived.

And try as APL chief executive Danny Townsend might, his spending power pales into significance when compared to the big bucks on offer in the Middle East, where superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, N’Golo Kante and even A-League veteran Craig Goodwin have recently signed.

“I think where it’s probably impacting us is with those players who are 34 or 35 and have been our typical targets and are now going to Saudi Arabia,” Townsend said.

“That just makes it that little bit difficult for us.”

Australian clubs have reacted accordingly and their international recruits now seem to reflect their standing in the global transfer market, signing players with potential rather than those in search of a holiday or an opportunity to be a big fish in a smaller pond.