Latest news with #SAUDI
The Sun
21 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Al-Ahli replaces Al-Hilal in Saudi Super Cup 2025–26
SAUDI PRO LEAGUE side Al-Ahli confirmed on Tuesday it will compete in the 2025–26 Saudi Super Cup, replacing Al-Hilal who withdrew citing player fatigue following their Club World Cup campaign. Al-Hilal, who reached the knockout stages of the Club World Cup and defeated Manchester City in the last 16 before losing to Fluminense in the quarter-finals on July 4, announced their decision on Monday, referencing scheduling concerns. Al-Ahli, who finished fifth in the recent Saudi Pro League season, said in a statement on X: 'We received an official letter from the Saudi Football Federation to participate in the Saudi Super Cup for the 2025–2026 season, scheduled to be held in Hong Kong from August 19–23, based on the competition's regulations. 'After a comprehensive study of all aspects, we decided to agree to participate in the tournament in line with the team's goals and preparation plan for the new season,' the statement added. The Saudi Super Cup precedes the league campaign, which begins in late August. - Reuters
The Sun
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
AC Milan's Theo Hernandez joins Saudi side Al-Hilal
SAUDI club Al-Hilal on Thursday signed AC Milan's French full-back Theo Hernandez on a three-year contract. The 27-year-old leaves the Serie A side in a deal worth 25 million euros ($29.2 million), Italian media report. Hernandez has played 38 times for France with two goals, and figured in the last World Cup, including the defeat by Argentina on penalties in the 2022 final in Qatar. Moving to the Saudi Pro League a year before the next World Cup could be considered a risk for his chances of getting called up again by coach Didier Deschamps. But he can take encouragement that Deschamps selected N'Golo Kante for Euro 2024 whilst he was playing for another Saudi club, Al-Ittihad. Theo is the younger brother of Paris Saint-Germain and France defender Lucas Hernandez. - AFP
Scottish Sun
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Al-Hilal considering sensational transfer swoop for Benjamin Sesko with two Man Utd targets also on shortlist
SAUDI giants Al-Hilal could tempt RB Leipzig with a sensational offer for hitman Benjamin Sesko after failing to convince Victor Osimhen to join them. Hilal are in the market for a striker this summer and have already been turned down twice by Osimhen, who now looks set to stay in Turkey. 5 Sesko has been linked to Manchester United recently but he could be heading to Saudi Credit: Getty 5 Moise Kean is another Manchester United target who is on the list of Hilal Credit: GETTY 5 Mateta has transformed in to consistent Premier League goalscorer Credit: Reuters They are now turning their sights to 6ft 5in Sesko, who has also been linked with Manchester United this summer. Also on their striker shortlist is Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is quietly angling for a new deal behind the scenes. The Frenchman netted 17 goals for the South London club, who went on to win a historic FA Cup and qualify for the Europa League. Another name on the list is Fiorentina's Moise Kean, who enjoyed a stellar campaign, scoring 25 goals across all competitions. Both Mateta and Kean have also been linked with Manchester United this summer as new boss Ruben Amorim looks to add firepower to a squad that struggled last season and finished a disappointing 15th in the league. Sources in Saudi Arabia have told SunSport that once Hilal finalise their move for AC Milan's Theo Hernandez, they will turn their attention to signing a new striker. Should they pursue Sesko, RB Leipzig are understood to value the 22-year-old in the region of £77million. The cash-rich Saudi side impressed many when they beat Manchester City at the Club World Cup, a performance seen as a major advert for how far the Saudi League has come. Hilal, who show no signs of slowing down after clinching the Saudi League title last season, also made headlines by appointing Simone Inzaghi as manager from Inter Milan. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 5 The club are happy with Aleksandar Mitrovic but want to give Inzaghi another lethal option up front. Al-Hilal are widely recognised as the most successful club in the Saudi League. Ex-Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick, 67, rushed to hospital for emergency surgery following botched op They've won a record 19 Saudi Pro League titles, more than any other team in the league's history and already boast stars like Joao Cancelo, Kalidou Koulibaly and Ruben Neves in their ranks. Their ambitious transfer short list could wreck the plans of Manchester United, who instead could turn to bargain options like Jamie Vardy or Callum Wilson who are both free agents. 5 TRANSFER NEWS LIVE - KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Al-Hilal considering sensational transfer swoop for Benjamin Sesko with two Man Utd targets also on shortlist
SAUDI giants Al-Hilal could tempt RB Leipzig with a sensational offer for hitman Benjamin Sesko after failing to convince Victor Osimhen to join them. Hilal are in the market for a striker this summer and have already been turned down twice by Osimhen, who now looks set to stay in Turkey . 5 Sesko has been linked to Manchester United recently but he could be heading to Saudi Credit: Getty 5 Moise Kean is another Manchester United target who is on the list of Hilal Credit: GETTY 5 Mateta has transformed in to consistent Premier League goalscorer Credit: Reuters They are now turning their sights to 6ft 5in Sesko, Also on their striker shortlist is The Frenchman netted 17 goals for the South London club, who went on to win a historic FA Cup and qualify for the Europa League. Another name on the list is Fiorentina's Moise Kean, who enjoyed a stellar campaign, scoring 25 goals across all competitions. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS Both Mateta and Kean have also been linked with Sources in Saudi Arabia have told SunSport that once Hilal finalise their move for AC Milan's Theo Hernandez, they will turn their attention to signing a new striker. Should they pursue Sesko, RB Leipzig are understood to value the 22-year-old in the region of £77million. The cash-rich Saudi side impressed many when they beat Club World Cup , a performance seen as a major advert for how far the Saudi League has come. Most read in Football Hilal, who show no signs of slowing down after clinching the Saudi League title last season, also made headlines by appointing Simone Inzaghi as manager from BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 5 The club are happy with Al-Hilal are widely recognised as the most successful club in the Saudi League. Ex-Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick, 67, rushed to hospital for emergency surgery following botched op They've won a record 19 Saudi Pro League titles, more than any other team in the league's history and already boast stars like Joao Cancelo, Their ambitious transfer short list could wreck the plans of Manchester United, who instead 5
Scottish Sun
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Billionaire ‘got involved' in failed Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall talks with Dana White as sum UFC icon snubbed revealed
Jones' retirement came moments before news of yet another criminal charge MONEY TALKS Billionaire 'got involved' in failed Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall talks with Dana White as sum UFC icon snubbed revealed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SAUDI boxing bigwig Turki Alalshikh "got involved" in the UFC's ill-fated bid to book a super-fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, it's been claimed. The huge heavyweight title unification bout officially fell through last weekend when the former undisputed titleholder announced his retirement from mixed martial arts. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Jon Jones announced his retirement from mixed martial arts last week Credit: GETTY 4 Jones' retirement laid to waste the UFC's efforts to make a blockbuster fight with Tom Aspinall Credit: INSTAGRAM@TOMASPINALL 4 Saudi bigwig Turki Alalashikh reportedly 'got involved' in the ill-fated negotiations Credit: GETTY The UFC did everything in their power to make the mammoth melee, even agreeing to Jones' demands to be paid "F**K YOU MONEY". Frustratingly for Dana White and the rest of the UFC brass, Jones performed a U-turn on the bout after agreeing to unify the belts. And according to veteran MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, the UFC were reluctant to meet Jones' demands for a historic payday until Saudi supremo Alalshikh entered the fray. During the latest episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, he said: "Here's what we can unequivocally say. READ MORE ON JON JONES 'intoxicated' Jon Jones charged with fleeing crash where woman 'lacking clothes' found "I told you months ago, the UFC wanted to make this fight. "They did everything in their power to make this fight. Jon Jones asked for $30 million. "They didn't want to give him $30 million (£22m). They negotiated. I heard from one source that even Turki [Alalshikh] got involved. "He wanted to make the fight. They eventually got to the $30 million. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 "Jon said he was in. A couple of days later, he said he was out. And once he said he was out, he was never back in." Alalshikh's alleged involvement comes as no surprise given the working relationship he has with the UFC's parent group, the TKO Group. Dana White confirms Jon Jones has retired from UFC with Tom Aspinall the new heavyweight champion Jones' retirement, which was announced minutes before it was revealed he was recently charged with leaving the scene of a non-deadly accident, has resulted in Wigan warrior Aspinall being elevated from interim to undisputed heavyweight champion. And the Atherton assassin has vowed to get the division moving again after Jones held it hostage for the best part of two years. He said: "I am going to keep this thing as active as possible. "I want to be the best heavyweight to ever walk the face of the Earth. "I'm gonna defend this thing as many times as I possibly can and I'm gonna keep you guys entertained. "I'm going to give back to everybody who has shown me support over the last year, over the last five years and over the last ten years. "We're gonna see an active defending UFC heavyweight undisputed champion going forward."
