FC Barcelona, in Saudi sights: Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr are going after their stars

One of the great features that has characterized Saudi Arabian football in recent years is its ambitious commitment to raising the level of its league (Saudi Pro League), attracting world-class talent thanks to its enormous economic power. Proposals with astronomical amounts in transfers and salaries have been the main hook. Therefore, it is not surprising that its clubs are attentive to what is happening in the most important teams on the planet to identify their next big signing.

In this scenario, FC Barcelona has become one of the priority objectives for several Saudi teams. Considered one of the most prestigious squads in the world, as reported in 'SPORT', Barça is closely followed by squads such as Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad, who would be willing to make millionaire offers to take away some of their most stellar players.

Al-Hilal would return to the charge for Raphinha

On the one hand, Al-Hilal is exploring options to reinforce its offense with a top-level winger. After the departure of Neymar Jr., the team led by Jorge Jesús seeks to incorporate a 'top' name that combines sporting impact and media projection. At the time, they tested the option of incorporating Vinicius Jr., even talking about dizzying numbers, but the Real Madrid forward has no intention of changing teams in the short term.

Given this scenario, the Saudis would have resumed their interest in Raphinha, who is signing a spectacular 2024-25 season: 30 goals and 22 assists in 48 games have placed him as one of the strong candidates for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

However, his signing does not seem easy. Raphinha has a contract with FC Barcelona until 2027 and there are rumors of a possible renewal. In turn, he already rejected proposals from Arab football in the past and, currently, he has consolidated himself as one of the great figures of the Catalan club, in a competitive team that aspires to win important titles. Therefore, his departure to Saudi Arabia seems, at least for now, unlikely.

Al-Ittihad does not forget about Frenkie de Jong

The team led by Laurent Blanc, and which has among its 'top' names Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, would be in a position to continue reinforcing its midfield with players from FC Barcelona. It must be remembered that in the past winter market they already signed one of the promises of the culé academy, Unai Hernández, for just €4.5M.

However, the Saudis maintain a larger objective that they have not yet ruled out: Frenkie de Jong. For a time, there was speculation about Al-Ittihad's interest in the Dutchman, motivated by the uncertainty surrounding his renewal and his role in the Barça team. However, the situation has changed significantly.

The Arkel native has consolidated himself as an undisputed starter in Barcelona's double pivot and his continuity seems closer, with a possible renewal on the horizon. Even so, Al-Ittihad's interest has not disappeared. The Saudi team remains attentive to any movement and does not rule out returning to the charge for the '21' in the next summer market.

Al-Nassr seeks a center-back and looks towards the culé team

Finally, Cristiano Ronaldo's team would be probing FC Barcelona with the aim of covering a different need: incorporating a center-back of hierarchy. Stefano Pioli's team is looking for an important reinforcement for its defense and would have a certain preference for established players such as Jules Koundé or Ronald Araujo.

However, although these names do not seem to be on the list of transferables (for now), Barça would not rule out doing business with other players. One of them is Andreas Christensen, who, due to the injuries suffered during the 2024-25 season, has lost prominence compared to his competitors in defense.

The Dane, whose contract with the club ends on June 30, 2026, is going through a delicate contractual situation and could be on the market next summer. His transfer would represent an opportunity for Barcelona to obtain a relevant economic injection, while alleviating salary mass.