Not a fling, a real move: Al Hilal closes in on Saudi national team star

Transfer target close to completion

Al Hilal is reportedly edging toward a permanent deal for a Saudi national team defender in the upcoming winter transfer window.

Saudi radio UFM reports the club is nearing a contract with Jihad Zikri, a defender from Al Qadsia, in the January mercato.

Zikri has emerged as one of the league's standout defenders recently and has become a regular for the Green under coach Hervé Renard.

Player profile and national team status

The 24-year-old has appeared in 77 matches for Qadsia since his 2021 promotion, including seven appearances this season, though he has yet to score a goal.

Because of his strong form, Renard called him up to the Saudi national team, earning six caps before an injury during the last edition of the Arab Cup.

Curiously, Al Hilal already fields several central defenders, including Kalidou Koulibaly and a Turkish counterpart, along with Hassan Tambakti, Ali Al-Bulaihi, and Ali Lagami.

There had been talk of dropping Koulibaly from the domestic list to register Portuguese left-back Joao Cancelo instead, which could explain the idea of signing Zikri.