One of Al-Hilal’s stars may transfer to their arch-rivals, Al-Nassr, in a deal that would be sensational by all accounts during the upcoming winter transfer window.
The newspaper “Al-Riyadh” revealed that Abdullah Al-Hamdan rejected the offer presented to him by Al-Hilal’s management to renew his contract, which expires on February 6th.
Al-Hilal’s management offered the Saudi international a renewal with his current salary of 150,000 riyals per month, in addition to a 3 million riyal signing bonus, totaling 5.2 million riyals annually. However, the player is demanding a financial increase, which has stalled negotiations between the two parties.
According to the prominent Saudi newspaper, Al-Nassr is monitoring the developments in the negotiations between Al-Hamdan and Al-Hilal, hoping to secure the player’s services. He is considered a “high favorite” of coach Jorge Jesus since they worked together at Al-Hilal.
The Saudi striker played 63 matches under Jorge Jesus at Al-Hilal, scoring 9 goals and providing 7 assists – his best record under any manager. The Portuguese coach described him as a “tactical player with strong physical capabilities.”
Jesus believes that signing Al-Hamdan would be a significant attacking boost for Al-Nassr in January, and the club’s management welcomes the idea. However, the obstacle lies in the need to negotiate with Al-Hilal, as the player’s contract expires just three days after the winter transfer window closes.
It remains unclear whether Al-Hilal would welcome the idea of selling Al-Hamdan to their arch-rivals and current Saudi league leaders, while the player is open to all offers and keen to secure consistent playing time over the next six months to maintain his chances of representing Saudi Arabia at the 2026 World Cup.
It’s worth noting that Al-Diriyah, a club in the Saudi First Division, is interested in signing Al-Hamdan and is prepared to offer him a substantial salary. However, the 26-year-old prefers to remain in the Saudi league to impress coach Hervé Renard and maintain his confidence before the World Cup.
