Dutch delight: Reijnders, Summerville, Bergwijn lead Oranje charge in RSL
The Dutch revolution is gathering pace in the Roshn Saudi League.
A record six players from the Netherlands are featuring in the Saudi Arabian top flight this season, with five summer arrivals joining Steven Bergwijn as the Oranje influence on the RSL continues to grow.
Bergwijn had already made history as the first Dutchman to lift the domestic title in the Saudi Pro League era, helping Al Ittihad to glory in 2024-25.
Now, his compatriots are making their own mark, with Al Qadsiah's Tijjani Reijnders, Al Hilal's Crysencio Summerville and Bergwijn himself among the standout performers across the opening few months of the 2026-27 campaign.
Between them, Dutch players have contributed 17 goals this season, placing the Netherlands sixth among the league's highest-scoring nationalities.
From spectacular strikes to dazzling wing play, we take a closer look at the Dutch stars lighting up the RSL.
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Reijnders: Al Qadsiah's new goal machine
With eight goals and three assists from only 10 appearances, Reijnders has wasted little time establishing himself as one of the RSL's most dangerous attacking players.
The Netherlands international leads Al Qadsiah's scoring charts despite sharing the dressing room with two prolific forwards in Julian Quinones and Mateo Retegui. Quinones, remember, is the reigning RSL golden boot winner.
Indeed, Reijnders sits second in the league's overall scoring standings, behind only Al Ahli's Ivan Toney, while his four goals from outside the penalty area are more than any other player.
His 11 direct goal contributions are also the highest among the RSL's Dutch contingent.
Reijnders' outstanding start was underlined by a stunning hat-trick in Al Qadsiah's 6-0 demolition of Al Riyadh last time out, having previously struck twice in an impressive 3-2 victory against Al Ahli.
Averaging a goal every 104 minutes, the midfielder has quickly become a driving force behind Al Qadsiah's title ambitions.
And with the Dutchman increasingly influential in the final third, opposition defences are discovering just how difficult he can be to contain.
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Summerville: Al Hilal's creative spark
While Reijnders has been grabbing the goals, Summerville has been making life miserable for opposition defenders.
The Al Hilal winger has emerged as one of the RSL's most exciting offensive talents, combining explosive pace, clever movement and an ability to create chances from seemingly impossible positions.
In 11 appearances, Summerville has registered three assiss, while his nine big chances created places him among the league's top five players in that category.
His willingness to take on defenders is reflected in another impressive statistic: 22 successful dribbles, alongside seven high-speed ball carries.
Perhaps most tellingly, Summerville has registered 84 touches inside the opposition penalty area - the joint-highest total in the division alongside Al Shabab captain Yannick Carrasco.
And he has come agonisingly close to adding to his three goals on several occasions, striking the woodwork three times. Only Al Fayha's Fashion Sakala, with four, has been denied more often by the frame of the goal.
Whether stretching defences, driving into dangerous areas or supplying teammates, Summerville has added another dimension to Al Hilal's formidable attack.
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Bergwijn: Back to his clinical best
For Bergwijn, the new campaign has been all about rediscovering his scoring touch.
The Al Ittihad winger managed five goals in 21 league appearances last season, but has already matched that tally in just 10 outings this term.
His transformation in front of goal has been striking.
Bergwijn is now averaging a goal every 152 minutes, compared with one every 357 minutes during the 2025-26 campaign.
Even more impressive has been his finishing accuracy.
Of his 18 attempts that were not blocked, 15 have been on target, giving Bergwijn an outstanding shooting accuracy of 83.3% - the highest among the RSL's Dutch players.
That figure also matches his entire shots-on-target tally from last season.
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax winger has been equally reliable from the penalty spot, converting all three of his attempts, while also celebrating his first hat-trick in three seasons.
It represents something of a change in approach for Bergwijn.
During Al Ittihad's title-winning 2024-25 campaign, 11 of his 13 league goals came from open play, including four from counter-attacks.
This season, his success has been built more around intelligent positioning, sharper finishing and composure from the penalty spot.
For a player who already knows what it takes to win the RSL, the signs are encouraging.
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Wijnaldum and Acolatse: More Dutch talent making an impact
The Dutch influence extends beyond the league's three most prominent performers.
Georginio Wijnaldum, who swapped Al Ettifaq for Al Ittihad late in the summer transfer window, has made an encouraging start to life with the Jeddah giants.
Although the experienced midfielder has featured in only five matches, he has already opened his scoring account, converting a penalty in the win against Diriyah Club.
The former Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Netherlands star has also demonstrated the qualities that have defined his career: composure in possession, intelligent positioning and an ability to dictate the tempo of matches.
At Al Hazem, meanwhile, fellow Dutchman Elton Acolatse is beginning to make his presence felt.
The winger has created nine chances in only four appearances, including an assist for Ahmed Al Nakhli in the Matchweek 7 defeat to Al Ahli.
Still, Acolatse's early contributions suggest he could become another important attacking outlet as the season progresses.
And finally, while Robin Kelder hasn't featured as much for struggling Al Fateh as he would've hoped upon joining this summer, his journey back to the Al Ahsa club in quite incredible.
The defender, still only 21, has played three times in the RSL - but seems one very much for the future.
