انه زير نساء which translates closely to "he is a player"

Salam Denis, I think the closest translation would be : " يحظى بـشـعـبـية كبيـرة لدى النساء ". Mohablol's suggestion, "زير نساء " means "womanizer". That's not exactly the same as being popular :)

إنه معروفٌ بين النِساء

Depends on the meaning you are trying to convey. What is the scenerio?