It’s no great secret that the Saudi Pro League is pushing hard to pull in big names at the moment, but who are the Al-Ittihad transfer targets?
When it comes to individual clubs, some are hitting the summer transfer window much harder than others. Al-Ittihad is one such club, and they’ve already snagged the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Fabinho and Jota this summer.
However, the club isn’t done yet, as there are some big rumours associated with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side right now in terms of direct links to major players.
As you might be aware, Al-Ittihad won the Saudi Pro League in the 2022/23 season, so the club has quite significant ‘pulling power’, so to speak. Of course, as the top team in Saudi Arabia, not to mention the sums of money on offer for top players, rumours are flying right now about who the Al-Ittihad transfer targets are.
On that note, the objective today is to showcase the latest Al-Ittihad transfer targets so that you know exactly who is on the radar for the defending champions.
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Marquinhos – Centre back – PSG
With Al-Ittihad already completing the signing of Fabinho earlier this summer, it looks as though another Brazilian could be joining him. As the business end of the footballing calendar draws to a close, Marquinhos is one of the most prominent Al-Ittihad transfer targets, and he’s one of the most likely players to be signed before the end of the transfer window.
There are several reasons why this is the case too. For starters, Marquinhos isn’t exactly on great terms with the PSG owners after he was quite outspoken about his views on the Mbappe situation. This showed that Marquinhos was having doubts over how the club was handling things like new contracts and transfers.
Additionally, it can’t have left a great taste in the mouth of PSG owners either – creating obvious friction. And as a result of this saga, there are rumors that PSG wishes to sell Marquinhos due to a lack of leadership and lack of support for the club. At the same time, the fact that he doesn’t always feature in the starting 11 for the first team shows that the club might not value him enough to keep him there.
However, it’s important to note that while Marquinhos is linked as one of the Al-Ittihad transfer targets right now, he did extend his contract at PSG in May 2023. Yet this was done before everything kicked off between Mbappe, PSG, and Marquinhos.
Raphinha – Winger – Barcelona
Introducing yet another Brazilian with a developing link to Al-Ittihad, it’s Raphinha that is in the spotlight this time. As you are probably aware, Raphinha has a contract at Barcelona right now, and his contract is not set to expire until 2027. This shows that he has a degree of certainty about his time and his role at Barcelona, which is boosted by the fact that he is typically in the starting 11. However, it should come as no surprise to learn that Raphinha could make close to double his salary if he was to make such a move. In fact, it could even be more than this – depending on how badly Al-Ittihad wants to secure his services.
Considering Barcelona’s financial woes, if the chance arises to offload a figure such as Raphinha for an acceptable fee, now could be the ideal time for the Saudi champions to pounce on the 26-year–old’s services.
On that note, of all the Al-Ittihad transfer targets that have turned into confirmed signings this summer, there aren’t many that can take on the role of a winger with any great impact. Then again, Al-Ittihad signed Jota this summer. And because of that, it seems logical that they might try and ink another talented winger to ensure that this position is absolutely covered.
Mohamed Salah – Forward – Liverpool
After capturing Fabinho, there seems to be a subtle Al-Ittihad obsession with Liverpool when revising the club’s speculated transfer targets. Mohamed Salah is the most exciting of all the Al-Ittihad transfer targets of recent weeks. Within the last couple of weeks, Salah has essentially given the green light for leaving Liverpool in an effort to join the Saudi Pro League, if reports are to be believed. Needless to say, he would become one of the Saudi Pro League best transfers so far if he did move there.
As for the most recent rumors, Al-Ittihad has reportedly made contact with Salah and offered a contract worth over £150 million. This is the value of the contract over a two-year period, and in terms of the transfer fee, Al-Ittihad has reportedly offered £118 million to Liverpool to snag their star man.
While like many areas in the build up to deadline day, there is a lack of clarity surrounding the situation, however one thing that is certain is that the Reds are far from willing to let their star man leave without a fight.
According to multiple sources, Al-Ittihad are determined to poach Mo Salah away from Anfield before the transfer deadline on the 7th of September. Merseyside already threw away a bunch of offers from the Saudi Pro League club. Only a couple of days ago, Liverpool declined a massive $189.9m deal for the Egyptian’s services but rumors have it that the Saudi side is ready to launch a can’t-resist $270m deal for the Liverpool player.
Mohamed Salah wouldn’t mind boosting Al-Ittihad but German manager Jurgen Klopp is keen on keeping his star player, as the transfer window in England already closed a couple of days ago. There is no possibility for Merseyside to fill a Mo Salah-shaped hole up front, so, if Al-Ittihad want to have Salah on their side during the 2023/24 campaign, they’ll truly have to break the bank in their attempt to persuade the Premier League club to sell.
Salah is ready to accept a staggering £2.45m-per-week pay from Al-Ittihad but it all comes down to the club-to-club negotiations.
Joe Gomez – Centre back – Liverpool
Staying on Merseyside, another target rumoured to be eyed by Nuno’s side is Joe Gomez. Earlier this week, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano relayed information stating that the Englishman is “very high” on Al-Ittihad’s list of targets.
The 26-year-old is under contract with the Reds until 2027, with him penning a new deal only last summer to extend his stay at Anfield. The versatile defender has fallen down the pecking order slightly, featuring in only two of Liverpool’s final 13 Premier League fixtures last season.
Romano also highlighted the fact that Jurgen Klopp doesn’t intend to sell any of his key players before the close of the transfer window on Friday, and given Virgil van Dijk’s suspension, the importance of Gomez’s presence in the squad has become all the more valued. It could be a challenging deal for Al-Ittihad to work with, however considering the finances and pull that the Saudi champions have, let’s not write anything off just yet.
Ibrahima Konate – Centre back Liverpool
Another attractive defensive target at Anfield on the radar of Al-Ittihad is Ibrahima Konate. The 24-year-old only made the move to the Premier League from RB Leipzig in 2021, making another move for him unlikely, especially considering his importance in Klopp’s back line.
❗️Le club saoudien d’Al-Ittihad, où évolue K.Benzema, a fait une offre à JC Todibo mais a aussi sondé I.Konaté 🇫🇷💫
🔹Todibo a refusé une grosse offre. Il devrait rester à Nice même si M.United garde un oeil sur lui
🔹Konaté se sent bien à #LFC où il veut atteindre ses objectifs pic.twitter.com/jF9S06QJek— Fabrice Hawkins (@FabriceHawkins) August 30, 2023
Reports in France relayed by journalist Fabrice Hawkins claimed that a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia doesn’t appeal to Konate, who is reported to “feel good” at Liverpool where he’d like to achieve his goals in the Premier League. Similar to the outlook on the Gomez interest, it seems increasingly unlikely that Klopp would sanction a move for the Frenchman just as the season has begun.
Gabriel Magalhaes – Centre back – Arsenal
Moving away from Liverpool, but remaining in the Premier League, Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes is a player reportedly appreciated by Al-Ittihad. What makes matters interesting regarding such interest is that the Brazilian hasn’t started in any of the Gunners’ opening three Premier League fixtures, a strange feat considering he played in all 38 matches last term.
The 25-year-old signed a new deal at the Emirates last winter, extending his stay in north London until 2027, however the start of this campaign has been a confusing time for the centre-back, making links away from Arsenal more interesting.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Fabrizio Romano dealt the Saudi champions a blow by stating that the north London side have “no intention” of allowing the defender to depart this summer.
Sergio Ramos – Centre back – Free Agent
It’s clear the position that Al-Ittihad aim to bolster in the transfer window, with another centre-back suspected to be of interest to the Saudi club.
After leaving PSG as a free agent in June, Sergio Ramos has emerged as a target in Saudi Arabia, with reports claiming that the 37-year-old has held talks with Nuno’s side over a potential move.
It’s said that there could be an issue regarding the amount of time that the Spaniard would commit to when discussing contracts, with him offering his services for three years and a deal summoned for a span of two years, making progression stall.
The four-time Champions League winner could join his former teammate Karim Benezema at Al-Ittihad, however it seems that is more to be discussed until a deal can become more concrete.
Nayef Aguerd
27-year-old Nayef Aguerd is reportedly on Al-Ittihad’s transfer radar. Will the Saudi Pro League be able to scoop him in the last possible moment of the transfer window? The team certainly has the financial capacity to pull off such a deal.
Nayef Aguerd is a vital part of David Moyes’ West Ham. With a price tag of €35m, Nayef Aguerd won’t come cheap for Al-Ittihad. The Hammers will surely want more if not double that. However, we’ve seen more impressive deals be completed this season. Al-Ittihad would have no issues providing West Ham with an irresistible offer. However, the negotiations with Aguerd will hardly go as smoothly.
The Moroccan defender joined the club back in 2022 and is reportedly happy to stay at London Stadium. So far, he made three appearances for the club in the 2023/24 Premier League season. With coach David Moyes trusting him more frequently to keep the ball away from Areola, it’s unlikely that Al-Ittihad will be able to tempt the 27-year-old center-back.
Luiz Felipe
Real Betis have a whopping €20m on the table for Luiz Felipe’s services. The Brazilian-Italian defender was a key part of coach Manuel Pellegrini’s gameplan during the 2022/23 La Liga campaign. However, the €20m from Al-Ittihad are reportedly enough to convince the Verdiblanco team to sell.
If the club-to-club negotiations lead to something positive, Real Betis’ board will have to launch a quick search for a free central defender, as the transfer window in La Liga is already closed. Clubs can only sign free players, which might prove problematic for Luiz Felipe’s transfer to Al-Ittihad.
The 26-year-old has a price tag of €15m but Al-Ittihad are sweetening the pot with an extra €5m. Real Betis don’t often get such amazing transfer offers for their players, so it’s very likely that Luiz Felipe will follow Karim Benzema and Jota to Al-Ittihad.
