Saudi rivals circle Al-Hilal star as renewal talks stall

Transfer sparks fly as Saudi rivals circle a star

Saudi media reported that Al-Nassr is eyeing a move for a player from their traditional rivals Al-Hilal in the near term.

The target is Abdullah Al-Hamdan, the Al-Hilal forward whose contract runs out at the end of the current season, prompting Al-Nassr to explore a move.

Al-Jazirah newspaper reported that Hamdan turned down an offer from Al-Hilal worth 12 million riyals to renew his contract.

The paper added that his father Abdulrahman Hamdan, a former goalkeeper, influenced the decision to reject the offer.

It also noted that Al-Nassr has offered 18 million riyals to sign the 26-year-old and bolster their squad.

Hamdan moved in 2021 from Al-Shabab to Al-Hilal on a five-year deal valued at 3 million riyals.

Interest from Al-Nassr comes as Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus has known Hamdan's potential since coaching him at Al-Hilal.

The player recently featured for Saudi Arabia at the Arab Cup in Qatar, but failed to leave a lasting impact, drawing some criticism after missing a penalty against Morocco in a showy manner.

Punchline 1: If this deal goes through, the transfer window might need its own stadium—just to handle all the gossip in one place.

Punchline 2: And if Hamdan signs, the bench might get so crowded they’ll start charging for extra seats—and perhaps for extra time with the trophy on display.