Real Madrid are preparing for a potentially tricky test when they travel to Valencia on Sunday evening for their La Liga matchday 23 fixture. This encounter comes at a crucial time for Los Blancos, as coach Álvaro Arbeloa and his French star Kylian Mbappé agree on the need for consistency to remain competitive for titles this season.

Arbeloa: I am not Gandalf... and work is the solution

In a realistic assessment reflecting the magnitude of his responsibility, Arbeloa emphasized after the hard-fought 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano that he doesn't possess a magic wand to transform the team's fortunes overnight. The Spanish coach, who took over from Xabi Alonso, stated, "I am not Gandalf the White," alluding to the iconic character from "The Lord of the Rings," stressing that technical ability alone is insufficient to win La Liga matches; it must be coupled with fighting spirit and tactical discipline.

The challenges of absences and the hell of Mestalla

Real Madrid enters the match with several key players absent, including Brazilian star Vinicius Junior due to suspension and Englishman Jude Bellingham, who is sidelined for a month with an injury. These absences place additional pressure on Arbeloa to find the right formula at the Mestalla Stadium, a venue that has historically been a thorn in Real Madrid's side and the stage for many intense and complex encounters. Valencia fans consider this match to be the "game of the season," further complicating the task for the visitors.

Mbappe... the difficult number in Real Madrid's equation

Amid these circumstances, all eyes are on French striker Kylian Mbappé, who is delivering exceptional performances, statistically topping the scoring charts both domestically and in Europe with 37 goals, 22 of which have come in the league. Despite his evident disappointment after the continental defeat against Benfica, Mbappé remains the key player Arbeloa is counting on to compensate for the absence of Vinicius and Bellingham, with the possibility of giving young Turkish striker Arda Güler a chance to rediscover his form.

The battle for the top spot with Barcelona

The match takes on added importance given the fierce battle for the La Liga title, with Real Madrid trailing their arch-rivals Barcelona by just one point. Los Blancos are well aware that any slip-up could widen the gap, especially as the Catalan club is enjoying a resurgence in form, spearheaded by their young star Lamine Djamel (18 years old), who has recently rediscovered his form after recovering from injury and is preparing to face Real Mallorca with the aim of consolidating their lead.

Real Madrid will be looking to take advantage of the rare midweek rest they had, following their surprise exit from the King's Cup against Albacete, to achieve a victory that restores confidence and confirms the team's ability to fight on the remaining fronts, especially before the anticipated clash against Jose Mourinho and his Benfica team in the European play-offs.

Al-Riyadh Club, which competes in the Saudi Professional League, announced new administrative and technical decisions aimed at restructuring the first football team's roster. The board of directors officially approved the departure of three of its players on loan during the current transfer period, in a move that reflects the club's desire to give the players a greater opportunity to participate and develop their levels, in addition to reducing the team's roster to make room for new signings.

Details of the loan of the Riyadh trio

The club issued an official statement today, Friday, detailing the next destinations for the departing players. The loan of Mohammed Al-Saeed to Al-Adalah was approved, while Rayan Al-Balushi to Al-Zulfi, and Sultan Al-Essa joined Al-Najma. The statement confirmed that the loan contracts for all three players will extend until the end of the current 2025/2026 season.

Extensive activity in Riyadh's transfer market

This move is not isolated; it follows a flurry of activity within the capital club. Earlier that same day, the club announced the signing of Algerian professional Victor Lekha to bolster its squad, while simultaneously thanking Iraqi professional Ibrahim Bayesh for his services and announcing his departure. These sweeping changes point to a tactical strategy aimed at salvaging the team's season and improving the quality of players available to the coach.

The team's position in the league and the upcoming match against Neom

These moves are of paramount importance given Al-Riyadh's position in the Saudi Professional League standings. The team currently sits in 16th place with only 12 points, a precarious position that threatens their survival in the top flight. Fans are hoping that the winter changes will help them turn things around and secure points in the remaining matches.

In related news, fans of the club are eagerly awaiting a crucial match as Al-Riyadh travels to face Neom at 5:25 PM this Friday. This match is part of the 21st round of the league, and Al-Riyadh will be looking to secure a positive result to boost their hopes of escaping the relegation zone and improving their position in the standings.

The loan policy adopted by the club with Al-Saeed, Al-Balushi and Al-Issa is a common strategic step in professional football clubs, as it allows young players or those who do not participate as a mainstay to get enough playing minutes in other clubs, which ensures their technical and physical readiness upon their return in the future, which benefits both the club and the players.

The winter transfer window for the 2025-2026 Saudi Professional League officially closed on Monday evening, February 2nd, after a period marked by unprecedented activity reflecting the rapid development of Saudi football. Despite the window's closure, the excitement continued as some clubs announced their delayed signings as late as Friday, completing the picture of one of the most intense transfer windows in the competition's history.

This significant activity comes within the context of the strategic transformation underway in Saudi sports. Clubs are no longer content with relying solely on established stars in their twilight years, but have instead turned their attention to attracting young talent from major European leagues. This enhances the league's market value and intensifies its competitiveness. A total of 66 deals were completed, comprising 29 foreign and 37 domestic transfers, while Al-Ettifaq and Al-Fateh were absent from the scene due to financial challenges.

The most prominent feature of this transfer window was the intense activity of Al-Hilal Club, which observers described as the biggest winner, after completing 7 quality deals that combined experience and young talent. The most prominent of these was the resounding deal of transferring the former Al-Ittihad captain, Frenchman Karim Benzema, to the ranks of the leader, in a move that is expected to change the balance of power in the local and Asian competition.

Details of winter transfer deals for the 2025-2026 season

The following is the complete list of official transfers that have been announced:

Al-Hilal (the biggest winner)

• Karim Benzema (38 years old): Striker, coming from Al-Ittihad (one and a half seasons).
• Pablo Mari (32 years old): Defender, coming from Fiorentina of Italy (6-month loan).
• Mohamed Kader Meiti (18 years old): Striker, coming from Stade Rennais, France (3 and a half seasons).
• Simon Poiri (19 years old): Midfielder, coming from Neom (3 and a half seasons).
• Sultan Mandash (31 years old): Right winger, coming from Al-Taawon (two and a half seasons).
• Murad Hawsawi (24 years old): Midfielder, coming from Al-Khaleej (5 seasons).
• Rayan Al-Dossari (21 years old): Goalkeeper, coming from Al-Khaleej (5 seasons).

Union

• Youssef En-Nesyri (28 years old): Striker, coming from Fenerbahce of Turkey (two and a half seasons).
• George Ilyinikna (19 years old): Striker, coming from Monaco (3 and a half seasons).
• Stefan Keller (29 years old): Defender, coming from AEL Limassol of Cyprus (6-month loan).

Victory

• Haider Abdulkarim (21 years old): Midfielder, coming from Al-Zawraa of Iraq (two and a half seasons).
• Abdullah Al-Hamdan (26 years old): Striker, coming from Al-Hilal.

Al Ahly

• Ricardo Matias (19 years old): Striker, coming from Brazilian club Internacional (4 and a half seasons).

Youth

• Ali Al-Azaizeh (21 years old): Right winger, coming from Kazma of Kuwait (6-month loan).
• Mohammed Al Thani (28 years old): Right-back, coming from Al Qadisiyah (two and a half seasons).
• Basel Al-Sayali (24 years old): Midfielder, coming from Al-Hazm (two and a half seasons).
• Ali Al-Asmari (29 years old): Midfielder, coming from Neom (6-month loan).
• Fawaz Al-Saqour (29 years old): Right-back, coming from Al-Ittihad (6-month loan).
• Ali Al-Bulaihi (36 years old): Defender, coming from Al-Hilal (6-month loan).
• Haroun Camara (28 years old): Striker, coming from Al-Nasr (6-month loan).

cooperation

• Gabriel Teixeira (24 years old): Left winger, coming from Sporting Lisbon (loan with option to buy).
• Marin Petkov (22 years old): Right winger, coming from Levski Sofia of Bulgaria (two and a half seasons).
• Fahad Al-Rashidi (28 years old): Right winger, coming from Al-Ahli (two and a half seasons).
• Kashim Al-Qahtani (25 years old): Striker, coming from Al-Zulfi (3 and a half seasons).
• Saif Rajab (21 years old): Right winger, coming from Al-Qadisiyah (3 and a half seasons).
• Mohammed Al-Qahtani (23 years old): Right winger, coming from Al-Hilal (6-month loan).
• Qasim Lajami (29 years old): Defender, coming from Al-Qadisiyah (6-month loan).

Riyadh

• Ennis Salley (19 years old): Left winger, coming from Dallas, USA.
• Leandro Antunes (29 years old): Midfielder, coming from Portuguese side Feirense.
• Victor Lakhal (32 years old): Midfielder, coming from Al-Qadisiyah of Kuwait.
• Abdul-Ilah Al-Khaibri (28 years old): Left-back, coming from Al-Ahli (6-month loan).
• Faisal Al-Subhi (26 years old): Midfielder, coming from Uhud.

Other clubs' most notable transfers

• Al-Kholoud: It includes 7 players, most notably Lithuanian Edgaras Utkus and Spaniard Iker Kortajarena.
• NEOM: Signed Nawaf Al-Ghulaimish and Ayman Falatah.
• Al-Akhdoud: Reinforced its ranks with Norwegian Tokmac Nguyen and Cameroonian Ivan Nio.
• The Gulf: It concluded 5 deals, including Bader Manshi and Hussein Al-Essa.
• Al-Najma: The Portuguese player Juga Rodrigues and the Egyptian Nabil Emad Dunga were signed.
• Damac: Signed Brazilian Arilson and Congolese Jonathan Okita.
• Al-Fayha: Abdullah Radif borrowed from Al-Hilal.
• Al-Qadisiyah: Signed defender Waleed Al-Ahmad.
• Al-Hazm: Signed Nigerian Yusuf Omaru and Abdullah Al-Ammar.

These signings are expected to ignite competition in the remaining rounds of the league, especially with the radical changes in the ranks of the teams competing for the title or those fighting to avoid relegation, promising fans an exciting and competitive second half of the season.