Saudi Professional League (Roshan League) officials have begun planning early for the upcoming summer transfer window, in a determined effort to continue their project of attracting elite international football stars, amid increasing news and press reports confirming that the ambition does not stop at one name, but includes a heavyweight list headed by Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, and Portuguese Bruno Fernandes.

Recent reports, most notably one published by Foot Mercato, reveal that Mohamed Salah's agent is in advanced talks with Al-Ittihad's management regarding a potential move to Saudi Arabia. Sources indicate that the Egyptian star is becoming more open to the idea of ​​leaving Liverpool and embarking on a new challenge, especially after overcoming recent difficulties and with his contract nearing its end, making next summer a crucial period for his future.

In a related development, Saudi ambitions weren't limited to Liverpool's top scorer. Sports journalist Khaled Al-Rashid revealed that league officials are seriously pursuing the signing of Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes, the Manchester United captain. Fernandes' name had previously been linked to Al-Hilal, but the player opted to remain with the Red Devils. Fernandes has been a key player for United since his move from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 for a fee of around £47 million, and he has continued to impress this season, scoring six goals and providing 13 assists in 25 Premier League appearances.

Context of the historical transformation in Saudi sports

These moves are part of a broader strategy that effectively began with Al-Nassr's historic signing of Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo in the winter of 2013, a deal that opened the floodgates to a surge of star players. This was followed by a busy summer that saw the arrival of Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kanté, Neymar, Sadio Mané, and others, placing the Saudi league in the global spotlight as a competitive destination rather than just a retirement club.

Strategic importance and expected impact

Signing players of the caliber of Salah and Fernandes isn't just about raising the technical level of matches; it also carries enormous marketing and economic implications. The presence of Mohamed Salah, as the most famous Arab icon globally, will boost the league's popularity in the Arab world, Africa, and Britain to unprecedented levels. Furthermore, attracting top players from English Premier League clubs (like Henderson previously and the current attempt to sign Bruno) sends a powerful message about the purchasing power and growing appeal of the Saudi sports project within the framework of Vision 2030, which aims to diversify income sources and make sports a key driver of the economy and tourism.

of Asian refereeing continues to dominate the sporting scene, sparking outrage among fans and pundits alike, especially amidst the fierce competition in the Asian Champions League Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli club stands out as one of the most contentious issues recently, with many believing the team has been subjected to a series of unfair refereeing decisions that could directly impact its performance in the continental tournament.

In detail, Al Ahli faced controversial refereeing decisions during its recent matches, particularly in its encounters with Sharjah and Al Wahda of the UAE. These matches saw goals disallowed for Al Ahli that analysts and experts considered perfectly legitimate, or at the very least, debatable decisions that should have been handled with greater caution. What is surprising is the persistence of these basic errors despite the presence of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, which was established primarily to ensure fairness and reduce human error. This raises serious questions about the competence of the refereeing teams selected to officiate matches of this magnitude.

From a broader perspective, these errors come at a highly sensitive time for Saudi and Asian football. With the tremendous qualitative leap Saudi clubs are experiencing and their attraction of the brightest stars in world football, the eyes of the entire globe are now turning to Asian stadiums. This significant development necessitates a parallel evolution in the refereeing system; it is unacceptable for the world to witness world-class players under refereeing that fails to keep pace with the speed and evolution of the game, creating a technical gap that detracts from the beauty and competitiveness of the matches.

What happened to Al-Ahli is not just a minor error; it's a wake-up call for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to find radical and long-term solutions to the refereeing problem that has plagued the continent for decades. A comparison with European competitions clearly demonstrates the difference in the accuracy of decisions and the speed of resolution—a level that the elite tournament should aspire to. With the decisive knockout stages approaching, concerns are growing that a single wrong whistle could undo the efforts of an entire season.

Al Ahly's management bears a significant responsibility to defend the club's rights and not allow these incidents to go unpunished. Demanding competent referees and formally addressing the relevant authorities is a necessary step to ensure fairness in future matches, guaranteeing that the competition remains confined to the pitch, free from the influence of erroneous refereeing decisions.

As part of the Saudi clubs’ ongoing efforts to strengthen their ranks with the most prominent international football stars, recent press reports have revealed serious moves by the management of Al-Nassr Saudi Club to conclude a high-caliber attacking deal, coinciding with deciding the fate of one of the team’s current professionals.

Al-Nassr targets a replacement for João Félix.
According to the "Topskills Sports" platform, Al-Nassr has placed the talented English winger Mason Greenwood, star of Olympique Marseille, at the top of its priorities for the upcoming period. This proactive move comes as part of the club's plan to compensate for the potential departure of Portuguese star João Félix at the end of the current season. Greenwood's market value is currently estimated at around 50 million euros, reflecting the significant technical value he would add to Al-Nassr's attack.

The battle between Europe's elite clubs and the massive Saudi offer
makes Al-Nassr's task far from easy, given the fierce competition for the player's services. Greenwood is one of the most talked-about names in the European transfer market. He was previously linked with Al-Hilal, who reportedly made a €100 million offer last winter, in addition to concrete interest from Atlético Madrid and internal discussions within his former club, Manchester United, about the possibility of re-signing him. However, the financial offer from the Saudi league could prove decisive, with estimates suggesting the player could receive an astronomical annual salary of between £80 and £100 million.

Greenwood has been delivering exceptional performances for Marseille since joining in the summer of 2024, with statistics showing he has played 68 matches, scoring 44 goals and providing 14 assists, making him a lethal attacking option for any team that secures his services.

John Duran departs for Russia.
On the other side of Al-Nassr's transfer window, the club's management has finalized the fate of Colombian striker John Duran, with reports indicating his move to Russian side Zenit Saint Petersburg on loan. The loan agreement extends until the end of the 2025-2026 season, in a deal that will see the Russian club acquire the player for €4 million plus bonuses, with no option to buy included in the agreement.

A notable aspect of the deal is that Al-Nassr will continue to pay the player's hefty annual salary of approximately €20 million throughout the loan period. This decision comes after a mixed spell for Duran, who made 21 appearances for Fenerbahçe this season (scoring 5 and assisting 3), while scoring 13 goals in 20 appearances for Al-Nassr across all competitions, including 8 in the Turkish Super Lig, but failed to lead the team to any titles.

In preparation for an Asian encounter
on the field, the team is currently focusing on continental commitments, as Al-Nasr prepares for an important match this evening against the Arkadag team, within the first leg of the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League 2, in a match through which “Al-Aalami” seeks to confirm its superiority and move forward towards the continental title.