Al-Ahli chief Khaled Al-Issa has confirmed the Saudi Pro League club tried to sign Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr this summer.

Al-Ahli have been very active in the transfer market over the last two seasons and the same was the case this summer, with the Saudi Pro League side linked with a number of players playing in Europe. Al-Ahli were rumoured to be keen on Real Madrid winger Vinicius after the departure of Allan Saint-Maximin and reports suggested the Saudi side were preparing a mammoth deal.

Al-Issa has now confirmed the club’s interest in Vinicius and explained that Al-Ahli ended up dropping their interest in signing a winger due to the the surprise integration of Firas Al-Braikan into the first team. They then shifted their focus to a striker and agreed deals with Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen before signing the former from Brentford.

Speaking to ‘Koora Rotana’, Al-Issa said: “The competent technical committee, which includes the technical director, decided to leave Maximin because it was easier in terms of the sale process, and the amount of the deal could be borne by any other club.

“There was a desire to bring in a very big winger, Vinicius, from Real Madrid, but during the negotiations something unexpected happened, which was the Saudi players leaving to go professional in accordance with the scholarship program, and the striker Firas Al-Braikan was scheduled to leave.

“Our priority shifted from the winger to the spearhead based on the departure of Al-Braikan, and we entered into negotiations with Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen, and it ended with Toney’s arrival.”

Regardless of not signing a winger in the summer transfer window, Al-Issa has sounded out a caution to European clubs that Al-Ahli will be in the market to sign a top winger in the winter transfer window: He explained: “Firas Al-Braikan did not enter the scholarship program and therefore continued with us. As a result, a void occurred in the wing position, and we will work to strengthen this position with a deal that exceeds the ambitions of Al-Ahly fans during the winter period.”

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