Saudi Winter Transfer Frenzy: Benzema’s Bold Move Tops a Season-Changing Roshn Window
2 February 2026
Winter Transfer Window Closes in the Roshn Saudi League
The winter transfer window in the Roshn Saudi League has closed after a month of high-stakes drama and a flurry of sensational deals.
The January window opened on Monday, January 5, and ran for four weeks, officially closing on Monday, February 2.
The period saw a string of explosive moves, led by Al Hilal's blockbuster signing of French striker Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad.
Al Hilal also added two more French players, young striker Mohamed Qader Meti from Rennes, and Simon Boabri from Neom, along with Spanish defender Pablo Mari from Fiorentina.
Locally, Al Hilal strengthened with international midfielder Murad Housawi from Al Gulf, goalkeeper Ryan Al-Dosari, and winger Sultan Mandash from Al Taawoun.
In contrast, Al Hilal let go several players, such as Ali Al-Bulaihi, Abdullah Al-Maliki, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Abdullah Radeef, Kai Cesar, and Joao Cancelo, while the future of Brazilian Marcus Leonardo remained uncertain.
As for the traditional rivals, Al Nassr added only Iraqi midfielder Haider Abdul Karim from Al Zawraa, while Brazilian Wesley moved to Real Sociedad and Haroun Kamara to Al Shabab.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli signed Brazilian forward Ricardo Matias from Internacional, and released Fahd Al-Rashidi, Ayman Flatah, Abdullah Al-Khubri, and Abdullah Al-Ammar.
Al Ittihad, for its part, did not announce a formal signing yet, but is expected to unveil deals for Moroccan Youssef En-Nesyri, Portuguese Gustavo Sa, and Nigerian George Elinikhina.
All this follows a delicate reshuffling as the famous Jeddah club parted ways with several core pillars, including Karim Benzema, who joined Al Hilal, while compatriot N'Golo Kanté appears to be nearing a move to Fenerbahçe.
Punchline 1: You know you’ve entered a winter window when the transfer market looks like a clearance sale and the players come with warranties.
Punchline 2: If football transfers were coffee, this window would be an espresso—strong enough to wake a sleeping referee.
