Bento on the Move: Milan and Inter Circle Al-Nassr’s Brazilian Keeper Ahead of January
12 November 2025
Transfer storm: Milan and Inter circle Bento as January nears
Al-Nassr’s Brazilian goalkeeper Bento is reportedly closing in on a January departure, with head coach Jorge Jesus signaling that a move could be sanctioned. The emerging drama has ignited a fresh contest for his signature between Milan’s two giants and arrives at a moment when Bento’s role in the squad is under renewed scrutiny.
According to foreign outlets cited by the Saudi daily Today, Italian clubs have already approached Al-Nassr to sign Bento in the winter window, with AC Milan and Inter Milan among the teams weighing a move for the 26-year-old stopper.
The article notes that Bento’s exit would be given the green light by Jesus, who has sidelined the Brazil international in favor of Nawaf Al-Aqidi in recent weeks as the team plots its season path.
Bento arrived in Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2024 from Atlético Paranaense for around €18 million, starting as the club’s first-choice keeper last season. Al-Nassr even loaned Nawaf Al-Aqidi to Al-Fateh for the second half of the prior campaign as part of squad depth.
Last season, the Brazilian keeper featured 49 times for Al-Nassr, conceding 54 goals and keeping 15 clean sheets—10 in the league, 4 in the AFC Champions League, and 1 in the Saudi Super Cup. This performance underscored his prominence in a demanding setup, even as the team encountered high-pressure fixtures.
This season, Bento’s trajectory has stalled. A costly late error on a corner in the Saudi Super Cup final against Al-Ahli in August set a testing tone, and since then he has slipped from the starting lineup, with Jesus relying on Nawaf Al-Aqidi for league duties.
After the Super Cup, Bento has appeared in six matches this season—one in the league, three in the AFC Champions League 2, and two in the King’s Cup. He has conceded three goals in those outings but has kept a clean sheet in four, illustrating an inconsistent yet not entirely forgotten form.
Meanwhile, Nawaf Al-Aqidi has flourished since taking the gloves, starting five league games this term with two clean sheets and three goals conceded across the others. Notably, he even assisted French striker Kingsley Coman in a 5-0 win over Al-Taawoun, highlighting his growing influence in the squad.
A third goalkeeper, Raed Al-Najjar, has featured in three matches this season—two in the league and one in AFC Champions League 2—conceding one goal in a 5-1 win over Riyadh, with two clean sheets in the process.
Internationally, Bento has enjoyed a revival with Brazil. He started in a decisive 5-0 win over South Korea during the October window and later sat on the bench in a friendly loss to Japan as backup after Alisson Becker’s injury. It was his first Brazil appearance under Carlo Ancelotti, reinforcing his standing on the global stage and feeding speculation about an Italian move despite his recent club role.
All told, Bento’s international performances, coupled with his recent exposures, appear to justify continued interest from Italy’s giants. As the January window approaches, Milan and Inter will monitor Bento’s club situation closely, weighing whether to press ahead or pivot to alternatives. And amid these transfer murmurs, the Milan derby narrative gains another chapter—the kind of subplot that makes fans check their calendars and the scoreboard for the next twist.
Punchline 1: If Bento keeps a clean sheet in January, the transfer market might finally learn the meaning of “net gains.”
Punchline 2: If Milan signs him, Inter may finally agree on one thing—defense… or at least a decent joke about it.
