Aston Villa sports chief Monchi admits the spending of the Saudi Pro League has caught European football unawares.

Monchi discussed the impact of Saudi's spending with Marca.

He said: "The truth is that I think it has caught us all on the wrong foot. We did not expect this. It has been in a couple of months. First it was a player, Cristiano, then Rubén Neves and now we see Benzema, Kanté... We have to be attentive because if they continue in this dynamic the market is going to revolutionise because we are facing a competitor who is going to inflate prices and salaries in an important way.

"It seems that they come to stay. We will have to see what continuity this movement has. It's not just a player profile. It is no longer the subject of old glories. It is necessary to see if they have continuity."