Italian club Roma has completely closed the door on recent speculations about the possibility of Saudi international defender Saud Abdulhamid returning to the Russian Professional League, specifically through his former club Al-Hilal, during the current winter transfer window.

In exclusive statements to Al-Midan Al-Riyadi newspaper, Frederic Massara, the sporting director of AS Roma, put an end to the circulating rumors, confirming the club's commitment to the player's professional career in Europe. Massara stated firmly: "We have not and will not agree to Saud Abdulhamid's departure to the Saudi league at this time. His future is entirely on hold until the end of the current season.".

The context of Al-Hilal's request and the right-back crisis

Saud Abdulhamid's name has been strongly linked with a return to Al-Hilal during the winter transfer window, as a quick and ideal solution to compensate for the anticipated departure of Portuguese player João Cancelo, who is reportedly close to joining FC Barcelona. Al-Hilal's management hoped to bring back Saud due to his extensive experience and familiarity with the team, making him the most suitable option to fill the expected defensive gap without requiring any time to adapt.

Saud shone in the French stadiums

Roma's refusal to cut short the player's loan stems from the stability Saud Abdulhamid is currently enjoying in the French league. He is on loan to French club Lens for one season, where he has secured a regular starting position. Saud's outstanding performances have made him a key player for Lens' coaching staff, making the idea of ​​letting him go mid-season a highly complicated one for the French club from a purely technical standpoint.

The importance of continuing professional careers in Europe

Saud Abdulhamid's professional experience is considered one of the most important milestones in the career of Saudi players abroad. His continued regular participation in the "Big 5" (League of the Major Leagues) reflects a remarkable development in the mentality of Saudi players and their ability to compete at the highest levels. Completing the season with Lens presents Saud with a golden opportunity to gain further competitive experience that will benefit not only his personal career but also the Saudi national team in its upcoming matches.

The Italian decision confirms that European clubs take loan contracts very seriously, and that winter market calculations are not subject to emotions, but to contractual and technical obligations, which means that the file of Saud’s return to Al-Hilal has been completely closed until next summer.

Italian coach Simone Inzaghi, manager of Al-Hilal, announced the official lineup for the highly anticipated derby match against Al-Ahli, in the 20th round of the Saudi Professional League. All eyes of football fans are on the Kingdom Arena, which will host this major football clash.

Al-Hilal's official lineup for the match against Al-Ahli

Inzaghi decided to field a strong attacking lineup to secure the three points, and the selected squad was as follows:

• Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou.
• Defense line: Mutaib Al-Harbi, Hassan Tambakti, Kalidou Koulibaly, Theo Hernandez.
• Midfield: Ruben Neves, Sergej Savic, Mohamed Kanno.
• Attackers: Malcolm Philip, Salem Al-Dawsari, Darwin Nunez.

Koulibaly's return and strengthening of the defense

The official lineup for Al-Hilal included welcome news for the club's fans: the return of the solid Senegalese defender, Kalidou Coulibaly, to the starting eleven. Coulibaly's return is a significant boost to the team's defense, as coach Inzaghi is counting on him to neutralize Al-Ahli's attacking threat and secure the defensive areas alongside Hassan Tambakti, especially given the intense rivalry inherent in derby matches.

Al-Hilal's motivations to return to winning ways

Al-Hilal enters this match with one goal in mind: victory. The team is eager to return to winning ways and appease its fans. This determination comes after the team stumbled in the last two rounds, drawing against both Al-Qadisiyah and Al-Riyadh. This makes securing points against Al-Ahli doubly important to ensure they remain strong contenders for the league title and maintain their position at the top of the table.

The importance of El Clásico and its impact on the Roshan League

The Al-Hilal vs. Al-Ahli match holds special significance, transcending the mere three-pointer; it represents a Saudi football summit, bringing together two giants of the sport in the Kingdom and the region. Matches between these two teams always garner extensive public and media attention, both locally and internationally, given the presence of world-class and local stars on both sides. The result of this match is considered a crucial indicator of the competitive landscape in the coming weeks of the Roshan League, as Al-Hilal seeks to assert its dominance on its home ground, the Kingdom Arena.

Al-Najma Saudi Club is very close to acquiring the services of Nabil Emad "Dunga", the midfielder of the first football team of Zamalek Egyptian Club, during the current winter transfer period, in a deal that may be one of the most prominent transfers in the Yellow Division League.

Dunga received a formal and serious offer to join Al-Najma, and the player expressed his initial agreement to the offer and his desire to embark on a new professional experience in Saudi stadiums, which prompted the Saudi club's management to accelerate the pace of negotiations.

Negotiations have continued and intensified over the past few hours between the management of the two clubs, Zamalek and Al-Najma, in order to finalize the last details of the deal and agree on the financial compensation and all contractual details before the registration window closes.

The registration crisis and Zamalek's difficult situation

Zamalek is experiencing a delicate administrative and technical situation. The team is suffering from a transfer ban imposed by international regulations, which has led the management to refuse, in principle, to release the core of the squad due to the difficulty of replacing them with new players at present. However, Nabil Emad Donga's insistence on pursuing the opportunity and the pressure he exerted proved decisive in the flexibility recently shown by the Egyptian club's management, who may find in the financial offer a way out of some of their accumulated financial difficulties.

Dunga's career and his artistic significance

Nabil Emad Donga is considered one of the most prominent defensive midfielders in Egyptian football in recent years. He joined Zamalek from Pyramids FC in a big-money deal and quickly established himself as a key player in the "White Knights'" lineup thanks to his exceptional physical abilities, ball-winning skills, and ability to build attacks from the back. His potential departure presents a tactical challenge for Zamalek's coaching staff, who rely heavily on him to control the midfield.

Al-Najma's ambitions in the Saudi League

On the other hand, Al-Najma Club is seeking to bolster its ranks with experienced international players capable of making a significant technical contribution, as part of the club's ambition to compete strongly in the Saudi First Division League (Yellow League) and attempt promotion to the Saudi Professional League. This potential deal is part of the significant sporting activity taking place in Saudi Arabia, which aims to attract stars from various Arab and international leagues to raise the level of competition at all levels.