Tag: Saudi

Ollie Watkins completes £51m move to Saudi side Al-Hilal from Aston Villa
30 August 2026 Off

Ollie Watkins completes £51m move to Saudi side Al-Hilal from Aston Villa

By Total Football News

Ollie Watkins says he never imagined or intended his Aston Villa career to “end this way” after completing his £51m move to Al-Hilal.

The 30-year-old striker, Villa’s record Premier League scorer with 91 goals, joins the Saudi Pro League side on a three-year deal.

The England international made himself unavailable for Villa’s Premier League opener against Brighton last weekend, which Unai Emery said Watkins apologised for.

“Firstly, I would

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Sheffield United: Saudi Prince threatened new Blades owners with liquidation over £10m debt | Football News
23 December 2025 Off

Sheffield United: Saudi Prince threatened new Blades owners with liquidation over £10m debt | Football News

By Total Football News

Former Sheffield United owner Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was poised to issue a winding-up order on the club over a £10m debt owed to him by new owners COH Sports.

Sky Sports News can reveal Prince Abdullah’s lawyers issued a statutory demand last month, giving the US-based consortium, COH Sports, 21 days to pay the bill. When that deadline came and went, they then gave them a further three

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Portsmouth: Zesh Rehman to leave club for Saudi Arabia role
20 December 2025 Off

Portsmouth: Zesh Rehman to leave club for Saudi Arabia role

By Total Football News

Portsmouth first-team development coach Zesh Rehman is set to leave the south coast club for a new footballing-based role in the Middle East.

The 42-year-old, who is involved as a member of John Mousinho’ s backroom staff, has accepted a new position in Saudi Arabia.

Portsmouth plan on finding a replacement for Rehman in due course.

He joined the Pompey coaching staff at the start of the 2022-23 campaign under

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Mohamed Salah: Liverpool forward a target for Saudi clubs, confirms league chief
13 December 2025 Off

Mohamed Salah: Liverpool forward a target for Saudi clubs, confirms league chief

By Total Football News

“For sure Salah is one of them [a target].”

There have been reports Salah, who signed a two-year contract extension in April, could leave the Anfield club in January.

Saudi interest in Salah has long been known, with a reported £150m bid from Al-Ittihad rejected by Liverpool in September 2023, but this is the first time a league official has gone on the record about the player since his

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Jordan Henderson had ‘tough moments’ after Saudi Arabia move
7 October 2025 Off

Jordan Henderson had ‘tough moments’ after Saudi Arabia move

By Total Football News

England midfielder Jordan Henderson says he has had “tough moments” since leaving Liverpool for Saudi Arabia and could “have made different decisions”.

The 35-year-old was roundly criticised for leaving Liverpool in 2023 to play for Al-Ettifaq in a country where same sex-relationships are illegal.

Henderson had been a high-profile supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and apologised for letting down or hurting anyone in the community when he left Saudi Arabia to

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Bruno Fernandes: Manchester United captain rejects move to Saudi
3 June 2025 Off

Bruno Fernandes: Manchester United captain rejects move to Saudi

By Total Football News

Bruno Fernandes has rejected a huge offer from Saudi Pro-League club Al-Hilal.

Fernandes has spent the past few days seriously considering the deal which would have more than doubled his salary at Manchester United, where he is one of the biggest earners.

However, after discussing the matter with his family, Fernandes has informed Al-Hilal he will not be joining them.

It is likely he will be asked about the situation

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Mohamed Salah: Why Egyptian turned down ‘£500m Saudi move’ to stay at Liverpool
11 April 2025 Off

Mohamed Salah: Why Egyptian turned down ‘£500m Saudi move’ to stay at Liverpool

By Total Football News

If money was Salah’s determining consideration, he’d have left Liverpool for the Saudi Pro League who, until as recently as last week, still believed they could attract him to the Middle East.

The financial lure of a move to Saudi Arabia was clear. The ‘homecoming’ of one of the greatest and recognisable Arab footballers – and the synergy, and earning power, for all parties was inescapable.

Indeed, sources have told

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Dougie Freedman: Crystal Palace sporting director to leave for possible Saudi Arabia role
17 March 2025 Off

Dougie Freedman: Crystal Palace sporting director to leave for possible Saudi Arabia role

By Total Football News

Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman will leave the club and is considering taking up a position in Saudi Arabia.

Freedman, 50, has been with Palace as a player, manager, and in his current role since 2017.

He was responsible for the recruitment of players including Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton and Dean Henderson.

Sources close to the situation claim Freedman has been offered the position of

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Jhon Duran joins Al-Nassr: The journey from Colombia to Saudi via the MLS and Premier League
1 February 2025 Off

Jhon Duran joins Al-Nassr: The journey from Colombia to Saudi via the MLS and Premier League

By Total Football News

Pelzer was a German defender who played for several teams in his homeland – plus 18 months at Blackburn.

Sadly his time at Ewood Park was blighted by injuries and he managed just one League Cup game against Walsall in 2002.

In December 2019, four years after retiring from playing, Pelzer got his first job with a club – technical director of MLS side Chicago Fire.

A few months into

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Mario Lemina: Midfielder available for Wolves after U-turn amid Saudi interest
27 January 2025 Off

Mario Lemina: Midfielder available for Wolves after U-turn amid Saudi interest

By Total Football News

Mario Lemina has made a U-turn at Wolves and is available for selection until his future is resolved.

The midfielder asked to be left out of the squad for the midweek 3-0 defeat at Newcastle, amid his desire to leave Molineux.

Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab want to sign the 31-year-old and have asked to take him for free, something Wolves are not entertaining.

But Lemina apologised to Wolves

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