Idrissa Gueye's expected free transfer to newly promoted Saudi Pro League side Al Diriyah has gone a little under the radar – but could yet prove pivotal to one of the biggest deals of the summer in the kingdom.
The 36-year-old Senegal and Everton favourite ended his second spell at the Merseyside club last Friday and now looks set to join the PIF-backed outfit and play for former Wolves manager Bruno Lage in the 2026–27 season.
Al Diriyah SC is considered part of the wider Diriyah giga-project and therefore has received significant funding. The fact they've pushed ahead of Asian champions Al Ahli in the race to land Gueye on a lucrative one-year deal says a lot about their ambitions.
However, Gueye's preference for a move to the Riyadh area as opposed to the Jeddah stronghold of Al Ahli might have been influenced by more than just footballing or contractual concerns.
It has since emerged that capital side Al Hilal, the kingdom's biggest club, are showing strong interest in Gueye's former Everton teammate Iliman Ndiaye, a player he has mentored at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and with whom he plays alongside at international level for Senegal. The two players and their families are said to be very close.
Reports suggest that Ndiaye is open to moving to Hilal, and the chance to reunite with Gueye in the kingdom must be reassuring as he mulls over what would be a major move in his career.
The 26-year-old winger has flourished in the Premier League, scoring 15 times across the past two seasons, and has also provided spectacular individual moments and a level of skill and excitement that his stats simply do not convey. It's also clear he has plenty of room for improvement, given his obvious natural talent.
Moving away from Europe as he enters his prime years would be unconventional, with Uefa Champions League clubs also thought to be monitoring his situation. Both Manchester United and Aston Villa have been credited with an interest this summer.
However, neither would likely match the financial package on offer from Hilal, while there is also the lifestyle consideration. Ndiaye is Muslim, and Saudi Arabia has proved a popular destination for players of the Islamic faith. Another of his Senegal teammates, the former Liverpool player Sadio Mane, has spoken of the virtues of living and playing in the kingdom, while his ex-Everton teammate Abdoulaye Doucoure has also embraced life in Saudi Arabia since moving to Neom.
Al Hilal finished last season unbeaten, but as runners-up to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, their bitter local rivals. The simple fact is they drew too many games, so while manager Simone Inzaghi has been pushing for the club to sign his former Inter Milan defender, Alessandro Bastoni, it's not surprising that they seem to be prioritising the acquisition of creative players. It's also logical that the four-time Asian champions have been looking towards the Premier League.
Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is expected to take up a similar role at Al Hilal in the near future, while his former Bournemouth colleague Simon Francis is already in Riyadh shaping the club's transfer business.
Hilal are in the process of overhauling their attacking options, with Brazilian Marcos Leonardo offloaded to Ajax for a fee of around £15m and ex-Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez edging towards a loan at Turkish club Besiktas. Karim Benzema's future has even been the subject of speculation in the Saudi media, just six months after his acrimonious arrival from Al Ittihad.
Hilal have already signed the West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville for £55m – a fee Everton will use as a benchmark for their valuation of Ndiaye. Summerville managed six Premier League goals across the past two seasons before eventually suffering relegation with West Ham.
Everton are thought to value Ndiaye at around £70m, with a fee in that region likely to prove persuasive. The Toffees, who signed the Senegalese for £15m from Marseille in 2024, also need to do significant business this summer, and the sale would help fund much-needed reinforcements for a squad lacking in key areas and badly in need of balance. They are also in a strong position, given Ndiaye has three years remaining on his contract.
A fee of that size is unlikely to deter Hilal, who were taken over by billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Company in April 2026. Unlike some of their rivals, Hilal are expected to invest heavily in their squad this summer as they look to wrest the title back from Al Nassr, reassert their domestic dominance, and target a first Asian title since 2021.
