Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo, a key player for Al-Hilal's first football team, has dropped a bombshell within the Riyadh-based club by making a shocking decision in the past few hours regarding his immediate future with the team. This comes at a time when the club's management is working to restructure the squad during the current winter transfer window to ensure both technical and administrative stability for the remainder of the season.

According to Brazilian press reports, specifically those from Band Sports, Marcos Leonardo has categorically rejected the idea of ​​transferring to Brazilian club Flamengo, closing the door on one of the most prominent options for his departure. The reports indicate that the player is willing to limit his role with Al-Hilal to training only, without participating in matches, expressing his deep dissatisfaction with what he described as the unsatisfactory treatment he has received recently. This situation presents the club's management with a real dilemma regarding their foreign player roster.

This tension in the relationship between the player and the club comes within a broader context related to Al-Hilal's crowded roster of international stars, making competition for a starting position in coach Jorge Jesus's lineup extremely difficult. Saudi clubs, particularly the big ones like Al-Hilal, face the ongoing challenge of balancing the regulations regarding the number of foreign players allowed with the club's desire to attract new talent or offload players who have fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. This is the scenario Leonardo is currently experiencing, given the presence of several high-profile attacking players in the squad.

Al-Hilal's management is racing against time to market the player's contract during the current winter transfer window, as keeping a player of Leonardo's market value without playing time represents a financial and technical burden. The management aims to find an alternative offer that satisfies the player's ambitions while safeguarding the club's financial interests, especially since Al-Hilal always strives to maintain dressing room stability and shield the team from any distractions that could negatively impact its performance in domestic and continental competitions.

On the field, the coaching staff, led by Jesus, is trying to shield the team from these administrative crises, as Al-Hilal continues its intensive preparations to face Al-Ettifaq in the 22nd round of the Saudi Professional League. This match is particularly important as it will be held at the Kingdom Arena, the new home ground of the club, where the team aims to continue its winning streak and strengthen its lead in the league, overcoming any obstacles that might arise from the transfer market.

The Al-Ettifaq women's wrestling team achieved a remarkable sporting accomplishment by securing third place in the overall standings of the under-17 women's wrestling competition, held at the King Abdulaziz Sports City Hall in Al-Shara'i, Makkah. The championship witnessed wide and competitive participation, reflecting the significant improvement in the technical and physical abilities of the participating teams.

The result of this Al-Ettifaq excellence was the winning of four diverse medals that confirmed the efficiency of the club’s players, as the champion, Layan Al-Dosari, deservedly won the gold medal, while Wafaa Al-Dosari and Ashjan Majrashi two silver medals to the team’s tally, and the medal count was completed with Noura Al-Dosari the bronze medal, which contributed to placing the club on the podium.

A breakthrough in Saudi women's sports

This achievement cannot be separated from the broader context of Saudi sports under the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which has given unprecedented attention to empowering women in the sports field. Recent years have witnessed significant strides in establishing women's teams within official clubs and in supporting young talents through sports federations—including the Saudi Wrestling Federation—leading to increased competition and a rise in the number of women participating in these combat sports, which were long dominated by men.

The importance of age-group championships

This tournament is particularly important as it targets the under-17 category, the age group upon which future hopes for representing national teams in international and Olympic competitions are built. Holding such tournaments in major sports facilities like King Abdulaziz Sports City in Mecca enhances the geographical spread of the sport and provides young players with valuable experience competing in a professional environment, thus honing their skills and preparing them for upcoming events.

Al-Ettifaq Club Development Strategy

This achievement is a continuation of the ongoing institutional work within Al-Ettifaq Club, which focuses heavily on developing various sports and nurturing women's and youth categories. These results confirm the success of the club's technical plans in discovering and developing talent, thus strengthening the presence of "Faris Al-Dahna" (Knight of Ad-Dahna) as a strong and consistent competitor in various national championships, and contributing to supplying Saudi national teams with champions capable of competing regionally and internationally.

In a move aimed at creating a major stir in the global transfer market, Saudi club Al-Ittihad has begun its intensive efforts to sign Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, Liverpool's top scorer, during the upcoming summer transfer window. These serious moves come as part of the club's management's ambition to bolster the squad with high-caliber players capable of returning the team to championship contention and competing strongly on all domestic and continental fronts.

According to reliable French journalist Santi Ona, who revealed the news on his official X platform, Al-Ittihad's management has already opened communication channels to begin formal negotiations to sign the "Egyptian Pharaoh." The report indicated that this move stems from a strong technical desire and a direct recommendation from coach Sergio Conceição, who sees Salah as the missing piece that will transform Al-Ittihad's attack into a formidable force in the new season, reflecting the harmony between the management and the coaching staff regarding player acquisitions.

Sources close to the matter indicate that Mohamed Salah is showing a marked openness to the idea of ​​moving to the Saudi Professional League through Al-Ittihad Club during this period, a positive development compared to previous times. The Al-Ittihad negotiator is keen to finalize the details of the deal early to avoid last-minute scenarios, especially given the expected competition or the possibility of other clubs entering the negotiations.

Background to the conflict over the deal and changing circumstances

This isn't Al-Ittihad's first attempt to secure Salah's services. The 2023 summer transfer window witnessed a major negotiation saga that made headlines worldwide, with Al-Ittihad submitting an astronomical offer that was rejected at the time by Liverpool's management and then-manager Jürgen Klopp, who were adamant about keeping the player as a key pillar of their squad. However, the situation has changed dramatically now that Salah's contract is nearing its end and the Saudi league project has entered a more mature phase, altering the English club's position and increasing the chances of a successful outcome in this round of negotiations in favor of the Saudi club.

The strategic importance of the deal and its expected impact

The arrival of a player of Mohamed Salah's stature and value in the Saudi League would not be just a fleeting sporting deal, but an exceptional event that would enhance the league's global standing within its ambitious project to attract star players. Salah's presence alongside Al-Ittihad's current stars, such as Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, would represent a qualitative leap in the club's marketing value and would attract the attention of millions of Arab and international football fans to follow the team's matches. Furthermore, Salah's extensive experience in European leagues and his record-breaking achievements in the English Premier League would be a decisive factor in Al-Ittihad's ambitions to reclaim the league title and fiercely compete for the AFC Champions League title.

Al-Ittihad officials are not content with the Salah deal, but are working to strengthen the team with more than one outstanding player during the new season, in response to Sergio Conceicao’s technical vision to fill the gaps in the squad. However, the Salah deal remains the “jewel” that Al-Ittihad fans aspire to add to their crown next summer, so that the team will be ready for all challenges.