Victor Osimhen
Club: Napoli; Estimated fee: €75 million
Premier League sides Manchester United and Chelsea have long been credited with an interest in the Nigerian, but they could yet face stiff competition from the kingdom.
Al Hilal are the latest club to be strongly linked to the Napoli striker, who has scored 33 goals in 37 games on loan at Galatasaray. The prolific frontman has a release clause of €75 million for non-Italian clubs and at 26 is entering his prime years.
Luis Diaz
Club: Liverpool; Est fee: €85m
The Premier League champions would prefer to offload Darwin Nunez but Diaz is a player long coveted by top Saudi Pro League clubs, including Al Hilal and Al Nassr.
Nunez, who has struggled to justify the near €100 million paid to lure him from Benfica under former boss Jurgen Klopp, could yet come under consideration given he is likely to find himself surplus to requirements at Anfield, but Diaz also has his admirers in the kingdom.
With Liverpool needing to strengthen at full-back, in midfield and wishing to shake up their forward options, a big money offer for the Colombian could prove tempting. Diaz, 28, has been a hit on Merseyside, scoring 41 times and laying on 23 more goals in 146 appearances since signing from Porto in 2022.
Ederson
Club: Manchester City; Est fee: €25m
City’s long-serving goalkeeper was the subject of firm interest from Saudi Arabian clubs last summer but was persuaded to stay by boss Pep Guardiola.
The 31-year-old Brazilian is said to be eager to make the move to the Pro League with Al Ittihad now emerging as the favourites for his signature ahead of Al Nassr.
Mohammed Kudus
Club: West Ham United; Est fee: €60m
With Graham Potter eager to reshape the West Ham squad, there is a growing feeling that the Hammers could cash in on fan favourite Kudus to free up funds.
That could lead to Al Nassr reigniting their interest in the explosive Ghana international who has struggled to replicate the success of his debut Premier League campaign this time around.
However, Kudus, 24, is far from the only West Ham player to underwhelm in a dismal campaign at the London Stadium and is also likely to attract interest from within the Premier League.
Rafael Leao
Club: AC Milan; Est fee: €75m
Portugal winger Leao is world class on his day but has struggled to find a level of consistency that might prompt one of his many admirers to pull the trigger on what would be an expensive transfer.
Tracked by Chelsea and more recently Arsenal, the 25-year-old was previously reported to be the subject of an ambitious move by Al Ettifaq. With both Al Hilal and Al Nassr seeking to bolster their forward options, it’s a fair assumption he will be on their radar.
Joao Felix
Club: Chelsea; Est fee: €30m
One of European football's great riddles, Felix could yet seek to revive his career in the kingdom. Undoubtedly gifted but woefully inconsistent, the Portuguese is looking to leave Chelsea after a bizarre spell in London.
In a transfer that epitomised the excess of Chelsea’s previous recruitment strategy, Felix flopped during a costly loan at Stamford Bridge but was still signed for £60m on a £300k-a-week seven-year contract.
He has since disappointed on loan at AC Milan but numerous Saudi Arabian clubs are said to be ready to offer him a fresh start. His former club Benfica have also been credited with an interest.
Vinicius Junior
Club: Real Madrid; Est fee: €200m
The Brazilian superstar remains – Mohamed Salah aside – the dream target for top Saudi clubs, especially Al Hilal who are in the market for a new glamour signing after Neymar’s ignominious exit earlier this season. It would seem highly improbable that either Real or the player would consider the move at this stage.
Victor Boniface
Club: Bayer Leverkusen; Est fee: €45m
The Nigerian striker was on the brink of signing for Al Nassr in January before they pulled the plug at the last minute and instead pressed ahead with the capture of Jhon Duran from Aston Villa.
Boniface, when fit, has been a key part of Leverkusen’s success in recent seasons and at 24 would fit in with the SPL’s refocused strategy of targeting younger talent. He is also rumoured to be high on the list of Saudi-owned Newcastle United's desired striking options.
Abdoulaye Doucoure
Club: Everton; Est fee: Free
Doucoure has been a source of important goals for Everton, including a last-day winner against Bournemouth to stave off relegation in 2023. It seems he is surplus to requirements with the club happy to let his £120k-a-week contract expire this summer. A devout Muslim, Doucoure has interest from several Saudi clubs, with Al Shabab said to be at the front of the queue. His Everton teammate Idrissa Gana Gueye is another to have been eyed by SPL clubs.
Alessio Romagnoli
Club: Lazio; Est fee: €10m
The Lazio defender has plenty of suitors in the Middle East having already held talks about a potential move to UAE club Al Ain.
That deal has not progressed though and Al Qadsiah, the surprise package of the 2024/25 SPL season, are reported to have moved ahead in the race to sign the 13-cap Italy defender.
