Al Hilal, one of the powerhouses of Saudi football, is preparing an extraordinary salary offer to attract a new elite striker in the next transfer window. The club has reserved an amount of at least 60 million euros, which is equivalent to approximately R$355 million at the current price, intended exclusively for the salaries of a single player.
This amount aims to cover a three-season contract, extending until June 2029, with an annual salary of 20 million euros (around R$118.5 million). The agreement also provides for an automatic renewal clause for another year, maintaining the same values and extending the contract until 2030, demonstrating the Riyadh team’s ambition to assemble a stellar squad.
Mohamed Salah situation as main objective
At this moment, Egyptian Mohamed Salah is considered the priority target behind the scenes at Al Hilal. The Liverpool player’s contractual situation makes him particularly attractive: Salah will be free on the ball market, after ending a successful nine-season career with the English team. This free agent status simplifies negotiations, allowing the Saudi club to direct its large investment directly into salaries, without the need to pay a transfer fee.
The strategy of focusing on a player free from contract underlines a growing trend in Saudi football, where clubs seek to maximize the value of investments in salaries and bonuses to attract big stars, while avoiding prohibitive ticket purchase costs when possible.
Raphinha maintains a contract with Barcelona and prefers Europe
Brazilian striker Raphinha is also among the options considered by Al Hilal, but his signing is seen as less likely. The Barcelona player has a contract with the Catalan club until 2028, and his interest in moving to Saudi football is (again) non-existent, as reported by the press.
This is not the first time that Raphinha has refused inquiries from Saudi Arabian clubs, reinforcing her preference to remain on the high-level European scene. The athlete’s resistance, combined with the need to negotiate with Barcelona for his release, puts him in second place on Al Hilal’s list of priorities for this window.
Cast compositions in Al Hilal’s attack
Currently, Al Hilal’s offensive sector already has a notable presence of foreign talents. The cast includes Brazilians Marcos Leonardo and Malcom, Uruguayan Darwin Núñez and Frenchmen Karim Benzema and Kader Meïté. However, the expectation is that at least two of these foreign athletes will leave the club.
This movement is crucial to make room in the foreign quota and enable the arrival of new important signings, such as Salah or, in a more distant alternative, Raphinha. The search for a new striker is in line with the plan to renew and strengthen the squad for the coming seasons, aiming to maintain hegemony on the national scene and seek prominence in continental competitions.
Annual salaries highlighted in Saudi football
- Al Hilal offer (for new striker):€20 million (R$118.5 million) per season
- Proposed contract:Three initial years, with option to renew for another year
- Total salary amount over three years:€60 million (R$355 million)
The magnitude of these values demonstrates the strong financial injection that Saudi football continues to make, attracting players who previously seemed unattainable to leagues outside Europe. The league establishes itself as a competitive destination for stars looking for lucrative contracts.