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I think the kind of transfer activity we see from clubs in the Saudi Pro League is not going to be as crazy as it was in the summer, so I don’t expect super big names to move in January. It’s going to be more about opportunities, so maybe players that are unhappy at their club could find a possibility to go to Saudi and be part of that project.
I don’t think super big names will move in the January window and the mission for Saudi clubs is going to be more quiet for January and then stronger for the summer transfer window.
Al Hilal have the problem of Neymar’s injury, and they are always very attentive to the market, so I expect them to have some contacts in the next weeks to look at opportunities. Still, at the moment, I’m not aware of anything close or advanced, so the feeling I’m getting is that it’s going to take some time. Again, we should keep an eye on players who are not so happy at their clubs, so that could be the solution for Al Hilal.
There is also the expectation that they will try again for Mohamed Salah after Liverpool fought to keep him in the summer. It’s hard to know for sure what will happen, but my understanding is that they could try again to tempt Liverpool into a sale.
Victor Osimhen was another player wanted by Saudi clubs in the summer and he recently admitted publicly that they made crazy money for him, though he decided to stay at Napoli. He was open to joining Saudi clubs, but then at the end, the club decided to keep him. Osimhen then also accepted the solution to stay at Napoli and move maybe in summer 2024.
So, while I would not rule Saudi out, the priority, from what I’m hearing, is still Europe – the player is still dreaming of Premier…
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