Saudi giants have set their sights on Barcelona's core lineup, with key players like Raphinha and De Jong becoming their main targets [xueting]
2025-04-22
On April 22nd, Beijing time, according to an exclusive report by the Spanish sports daily "Diario Sport", teams in the Saudi professional League have recently launched a large-scale recruitment drive for Barcelona's main lineup and have sent a senior delegation to have formal contact with the club's management.
It is learned that the list of targets that Saudi Arabia is in contact with this time includes Rafinha, Kounde, Araujo and De Jong, etc.
It is understood that Al-Hilal of Riyadh is currently seeking to acquire Rafinha of Barcelona. It is reported that the previous contract renewal negotiations between Raphinha and Barcelona were not smooth, and the two sides had differences over the annual salary of the new contract. Al Nassr, on the other hand, is focused on signing a center-back, with the team aiming for top-performing stars like Kounde or Araujo. Furthermore, Christensen has been listed as an alternative target; Jeddah United had already signed 20-year-old Spanish midfielder Unai Hernandez from Barcelona's youth team. Now, they are eager to find a more versatile midfielder, so they now plan to sign De Jong to strengthen the midfield.
Although Barcelona Football Club has stated that it is unwilling to sell its key players, due to financial pressure, the club may have to consider the transfer of some players.
The generous salary and benefits offered by Saudi clubs are quite attractive to players, which may prompt some players to actively seek transfer opportunities.