Two of Saudi Arabia's biggest clubs are said to have run out of money to spend on transfers in the current window, thus putting a Manchester City star's potential move in jeopardy.
Last season, the Saudis splurged heavily on blockbuster transfers, with the likes of Neymar, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mane, to name just a few, arriving as marquee signings for their respective teams.
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More of the same was expected ahead of the 2024/25 Saudi Pro League (SPL) season, with the division having long declared their goal to commercialise and strengthen their top flight so that it is among the best in the world.
However, it is now reported that two Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund-backed clubs currently do not have the budget to spend on transfers.
According to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadh, the SPL's recruitment programme recently informed Al Nassr and Al Hilal that it will not provide them with any financial support in the current transfer window.
It is claimed that both clubs used up all the funds allotted to them last year, and will therefore now need to raise capital through other sporting means and selling players.
Moreover, the report suggests that Al Nassr's signings last term – Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan, Otavio from FC Porto, Seko Fofana from RC Lens, and Mane from Bayern Munich – were at the expense of the Saudi recruitment programme, which also helped fund part of Cristiano Ronaldo's big contract.
Al Hilal is understood to have done similar with their signings of Neymar, Malcom, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic Savic and Aleksandar Mitorvic.
Meanwhile, Al Nassr's deals for Aymeric Laporte from Manchester City and Alex Telles from Manchester United were completed using the club's own spending.
Of concern for Al Nassr now is that their pursuit of City goalkeeper Ederson could be in jeopardy, although negotiations are said to be still ongoing.
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The report further indicates that Al Nassr could be forced to consider a less expensive option than Ederson, whose asking price is reportedly €50 million (R980 million).