Cristiano Ronaldo is furious at Al Hilal's signing of Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad, while Al Nassr only recruited young Iraqi midfielder Haider Abdul-Karim in the January transfer window.
Al Hilal currently leads Al Nassr by one point in the Saudi Pro League standings, and Ronaldo hopes his club will show more ambition in the transfer window as he is eager to win the Saudi league title for the first time.
Although he believes the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has given special treatment to other clubs, Saudi football has been liberalised, and clubs are now being acquired by investors.
Benzema's transfer to Al Hilal was not funded by the league or the PIF, but by a Saudi billionaire private investor, Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. With the support of private investors, there are no obstacles for Al Hilal to sign more players.
Senior Saudi Arabian officials have urged Ronaldo to end his boycott and return to play for the club.
They are shocked by Ronaldo's discontent, despite his reported daily salary of £500,000, and hope he will feature in Friday's match against Al-Ittihad.
His contract still has 18 months to run, and it includes a summer release clause of £43 million (€50 million) – even though he will turn 41 on Thursday.
From the Saudi side, Ronaldo still has their full support, and nothing has changed.
He is involved in all aspects of the club's affairs, has his own team, and participates in all transfer and investment opportunities, so his great discontent is truly surprising.
The Saudi side believes their league is fairly competitive, and the season is still full of twists and turns. The funding provided by the league is transparent and fair for all clubs owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
If Al Nassr made no signings in January, it is because they have already spent £100 million this season.
The financial rules formulated by the Player Recruitment Excellence Centre and the league funding are designed to safeguard the integrity of the league and ensure the sustainable development and competitiveness of the league and its clubs.
All eyes are now on Ronaldo to see if he will play in Friday's match against Al-Ittihad.
