Transfer Stalled: Pinto's Big Move to Italy Crashes in January Window
20 January 2026
Transfer Stalled: Pinto's Italian Dream Hits a Snag in January Window
In the closing hours of the current winter mercato, a decisive development affected Brazilian goalkeeper Bento Matheus Pinto’s proposed move from Al-Nassr to Genoa.
According to the Saudi daily al-Yom, Genoa scrapped the deal and instead signed a new keeper within this window.
The report added that the decision came from the Italian club after an €11 million bid was rejected.
Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus at Al-Nassr reportedly urged the club to halt the deal immediately, following the Al-Hilal match, as Nayef Al-Aqidi was sent off and mistakes continued ahead of the rematch with Al-Qadsiah.
Pinto had been keen to leave in order to play regularly before the 2026 World Cup, especially since Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has been calling him up for camps recently.
Punchline 1: If life gave Pinto lemons, Genoa would still say, Sorry, we’ve already signed a keeper with better lemon-avoidance metrics.
Punchline 2: Meanwhile, the transfer market is so fluid that even a goalkeeper can trip over a rumor and end up with a coffee break in a different country.
