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Meet the billionaires behind Al-Hilal’s world record £259m bid for Mbappe

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PSG have accepted a world record £259 million transfer fee from Al-Hilal for wantaway striker Kylian Mbappe.

The French giants are desperate for a sale this year to avoid Mbappe leaving Parc des Princes as a free agent next summer, and as such they have granted Al-Hilal permission to speak with the player.

However, the 24 year-old is said to be uninterested in a move to the Saudi Pro League and his preference is to hold out for Real Madrid in 2024.

Along with the transfer fee, the Saudi side have also reportedly offered Mbappe a jaw-dropping £604 million in wages for just a single season with the club.

So, who exactly are the owners behind the Al-Hilal mega-money offer and which players have they signed so far during the summer 2023 transfer window?

Here is everything you need to know.

Who owns Al-Hilal?
Al Hilal is under shared ownership, with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) the majority owner with a 75% share.

The remaining 25% is controlled by the Al Hilal Non-Profit Foundation.

The PIV is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, and with total estimated assets of around £320 billion, it is one of the largest in the world.

It was set up in 1971 to invest money on behalf of the government, and has been controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, since 2015.

The PIF is playing a crucial part in Saudi’s strategy, named Vision 2030, to diversify the nation’s economy away from its dependence on oil.

The sovereign wealth fund bought Newcastle United for £300 million in October 2021, acquiring an 80% stake in the Premier League side with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan installed as the club’s chairman.

As well as taking control of Al-Hilal in June, the PIF also took a 75% stake in three of the other biggest teams in the Kingdom as it attempts to turbo boost the profile of the league; Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr.

Al-Hilal are the most decorated team in Asia, with 66 official honours to their name, including a record eight AFC Champions League titles.

Which players have Al-Hilal signed so far?
Ruben Neves ended his six-year stay at Wolves with a £47 million move to the club in June.

Aged just 26, the Portuguese midfielder’s transfer represented the first time that a player deemed to be in his prime has moved to the Saudi Pro League.

Neves is joined at Al-Hilal by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who swapped Champions League football with Lazio to move to the Middle East in a £34 million deal.

The hugely talented midfielder, 28, had been regularly linked with some of the biggest names in European football over the past few seasons.

Kalidou Koulibaly also now plys his trade in Riyadh following his £17 million move from Chelsea, where he spent a sole season having only signed from Napoli last year.

The squad also contains former West Brom player Matheus Pereira and ex-Porto striker Moussa Marega, although the duo are not currently registered to play.

Former Benfica and Sporting winger Andre Carrillo has been with Al-Hilal since 2018.

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Transfers

Man United Eye €75 Million Rated Victor Osimhen

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Victor Osimhen To Man United? Ruben Amorin Told To Sign Nigerian Goal-Getter

Manchester United have started to show interest in Victor Osimhen, who’s producing in spades in Turkey. They are mulling offering a swap that could entice Napoli to sell the striker. They plot to propose Joshua Zirkzee and some cash consideration in return, Fanatik reports (via OneFootball).

The 25-year-old has tallied eight goals and four assists in nine seasonal appearances. His release clause will amount to €75/80M in the next transfer windows. According to the publication, Azzurri coach Antonio Conte would be open to bringing in the former Bologna star, who’s having a tough time in the Premier League.

Manchester United turned their attention toward Osimhen after Sporting CP repelled them for Viktor Gyokeres, nixing a quick reunion with his former boss Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils will have to overwhelm the resistance of Galatasaray to sign the Nigerian international. The Turkish team is determined to keep him until June, as coach Okan Buruk recently reaffirmed (via Calciomercato).

“Victor plans to stay here until the end of the season. The clause doesn’t matter, and he said that. It’s up to the player to decide.”

In addition, the Cimbom recently lost Mauro Icardi for the rest of the season because of a knee injury.

 

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Man United Told To Sell Marcus Rashford For One Reason

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Manchester United are looking forward to a new era under Portuguese tactician Ruben Amori, as reported by Manchester Evening News

The 39-year-old has arrived at Old Trafford with a stellar reputation from his time at Sporting, and excitement is building ahead of his first game in charge. First up for Amorim will be a trip to Ipswich Town on November 24 (kick-off: 4:30pm) after the international break.

And he will need to make plenty of decisions if he wants to get United back to the top of English and European football. The former Braga boss will inherit a side that sits 13th in the top-flight table, although just three points off Chelsea in third.

Below, The Manchester Evening News has taken a look at what United’s new manager should do in his task to restore the Reds to their former glory…

Sign Gyokeres

Manchester United and Viktor Gyokeres seem like a match made in heaven, judging by the Swedish striker’s form at Sporting under Amorim. Transferring that level to Old Trafford won’t be easy of course, but it’s clear that United’s new boss was able to get the best out of a player who could significantly strengthen the Reds.

Will he want to join a team that looks far from Premier League title challengers though? The attraction of reuniting with Amorim is one thing but any top player will want to play for a club competing for the game’s biggest prizes, something the Reds are far off from doing right now.

There’s also the issue of being able to fund a deal with PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) needing to be carefully considered. The next point could help in that respect though…

Sell Rashford

There are several reasons why selling Marcus Rashford may benefit United. Due to his homegrown status, his sale would represent pure profit, giving the Reds some flexibility with PSR to sign Gyokeres, for example.

There is also a debate over whether he would fit into Amorim’s team. The academy graduate is not a No 10 or a wing-back and has never convinced as a striker.

Also, is he good enough to help United compete for Premier League and Champions League titles? The jury is still very much out on that one.

Kerkez deal

Bournemouth star Milos Kerkez has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most promising left-backs with his performances this season playing a key role in the Cherries’ rise under Andoni Iraola.

United are in need of a left-sided full-back with both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia struggling with injuries. A wing-back may also be needed in Amorim’s potential 3-4-3 and the Hungarian fits the bill on both counts.

Kerkez only joined Bournemouth last summer, though, where he signed a long-term contract. Agreeing a deal, therefore, is likely to be difficult, particularly with United’s PSR considerations, but he would be a shrewd signing.

Manchester Evening News

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Galatasaray: Osimhen Wants To Stay But We Can’t Afford €75 Million Release Clause

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Galatasaray: Osimhen Wants To Stay But We Can't Afford €75 Million Release Clause

Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk insists that while Victor Osimhen does have a release clause set for January, the Napoli-owned striker ‘wants to stay with us to the end of the season.’

The Nigeria international made the move in September on loan when transfers to Chelsea and the Saudi Pro League fell apart before the deadline.

There are a series of different release clauses in his contract, including one worth €80m from the summer of 2025.

The clause is available in January, reportedly set to be worth €75-80m, and this is alerting interest from Premier League sides including Manchester United.

“Osimhen intends to stay here until the end of the season,” assured Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk in a press conference today.

“He wants to stay and has been telling me that from the start. There is a clause, but it does not matter, because he said that he will remain.

“The player is the one who ultimately decides and Osimhen says he is staying here. He said the same from the moment he arrived.”

Osimhen has certainly impressed with the Turkish club side, scoring eight goals and providing four assists in just nine games since arriving from Napoli, between the Super Lig and the Europa League.

Napoli paid €77.5m plus bonuses to purchase him from Lille in September 2020 and only extended his contract in December 2023.

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