Shadows on the Cleats: Will Al Hilal Pounce on Inter’s Acerbi in January?

Al Hilal Linked with Inter’s Acerbi Ahead of January Window

Federico Pastorello, the agent of Simone Inzaghi—the coach associated with Al Hilal in this article—clarified that the Saudi club is weighing a January move for Francesco Acerbi, the defender with Inter Milan.

Al Hilal is seeking solutions to cover the absence of Senegalese center-back Kalidou Koulibaly, who will represent his country at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026.

“It’s difficult to sign Francesco Acerbi in January because the list of foreign players in Al Hilal is full. I think it’s unlikely any player will leave to make room for another during this period,” the Italian site TuttoMercato quoted Pastorello as saying.

Inzaghi will face big difficulties ahead, as both Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and Kalidou Koulibaly will miss time with their national teams for AFCON.

Youth Players Are the Priority

Signing a player born in 2004 would be more plausible than bringing in older foreign players, but the key question remains whether Al Hilal wants to pursue this kind of deal.

Saudi league rules allow eight foreign players over the age, plus youth players born in 2004 and later; Al Hilal already has all foreign slots filled after replacing Joao Cancelo with Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo following his injury.

Inzaghi is enjoying his time with the team, and the results are strong. Al Hilal tops the AFC Champions League and sits second in the Saudi league, four points behind Al Nassr led by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Regarding talks with Fiorentina defender Pietro Comuzzo during the summer mercato, the agent explained that reports of a €35 million offer with €3 million in bonuses were not matched by the player’s interest, and no official offer arrived.

Punchline: In football, timing is everything—sometimes a bold January move is just a calendar away from becoming a calendar joke.

Punchline 2: If transfers were comedy, this Acerbi rumor would still be in the dressing room practicing its lines while the clock keeps ticking and the coffee goes cold.