Borussia Dortmund chief Sebastian Kehl says the big spending of Saudi Pro League clubs is "harming" the market.

The Bundesliga hasn't lost as many stars to the SPL compared to the Premier League.

But Kehl argued: "It has become clear that the distance between the English clubs and the rest of Europe has grown again.

"And now there is a new player on the market in Saudi Arabia who is throwing so much money around that it almost makes you dizzy. There is no longer any rational justification for it.

"In the contract negotiations I am in the process of, I try to get the players to understand the situation in our club. It is simply not possible to explain these amounts paid in Saudi Arabia.

"It changes the market and makes it even more difficult for us to act. It is not only aging stars who go there, but also younger players.

"If it continues, football will develop in a direction that will certainly be harmful."