Saudi giants Al Hilal target Serie A stars in major summer rebuild

Al Hilal are preparing an aggressive move in the summer transfer window as the Saudi giants look to sign two leading players from Italian clubs in a bid to overhaul their squad after a disappointing season.

The Riyadh side, one of Asia’s most decorated teams, have identified a pair of Serie A stars as priority targets as they seek to reinforce key positions before the new campaign begins. The planned recruitment drive is part of a wider attempt to reset the team’s trajectory following what insiders at the club see as an underwhelming year both domestically and continentally.

Club officials are understood to be working on multiple fronts in the market, aiming to secure high‐profile signings early in the window to give the technical staff maximum time to integrate new arrivals into the team’s tactical structure.

Response to rare trophy setback

By Al Hilal’s elevated standards, last season was viewed as below par. The club failed to sustain a successful challenge in most of the major competitions they entered, falling short in both the Saudi Pro League title race and the Asian Champions League.

In the league, Al Hilal were eclipsed by their fierce rivals Al Nassr, who wrestled the domestic crown away from them. That shift in power added extra pressure on the club’s hierarchy to respond decisively this summer to avoid a repeat in the upcoming campaign.

On the continental stage, Al Hilal were unable to add another Asian title to their record collection. The elite tier of the AFC Champions League slipped from their grasp, with fellow Saudi club Al Ahli ultimately lifting the trophy and underlining the increasingly competitive nature of the region’s club game.

Such setbacks have sharpened the focus within Al Hilal on rebuilding with impact signings capable of immediately lifting the performance level across the squad.

Cup glory offers limited consolation

The one major piece of silverware that prevented Al Hilal’s season from being labelled a complete failure was their triumph in the King’s Cup (Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup). The prestigious domestic cup title provided some relief and ensured the club did not finish the season empty‐handed.

However, the success is being viewed internally more as damage control than a full vindication of the campaign. Securing the King’s Cup “saved face” for the club, according to voices close to the set‐up, but did not mask the wider sense of underachievement in the league and in Asia.

That context has driven a determination among senior figures to act decisively in the transfer market, with the goal of restoring Al Hilal to the top of both domestic and continental football.

Strategic overhaul before new season

The club’s recruitment strategy this summer is understood to be focused not only on star power but also on balance and depth, as Al Hilal look to “reshape their hand” and reorganise their options across the pitch ahead of the new season.

Targeting two prominent names from Italian football is seen as a statement of intent, signalling that Al Hilal are ready to compete aggressively for international talent as part of the broader Saudi Pro League project to attract world‐class players.

With preparations for the new campaign already under way, the coming weeks are expected to be crucial as Al Hilal attempt to close negotiations, complete deals and present a revamped squad capable of reclaiming domestic dominance and challenging again for Asian honours.