Al Hilal Considering Manchester City’s João Cancelo and Kyle Walker to Replace Saud Abdulhamid
Defending Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal have included Manchester City’s João Cancelo and Kyle Walker in their three-man shortlist to replace Saud Abdulhamid, who is expected to leave for Europe.
Saud Abdulhamid, who is entering the final year of his contract, has attracted interest from European clubs, including Aston Villa, Reims, AS Roma, and Nottingham Forest. With no talks of a contract renewal, the fullback has been listening to offers from the interested party.
In a bid to up their competitiveness, Al Hilal have come up with a three-man shortlist that includes two Manchester City players (Kyle Walker and João Cancelo) and a Manchester City academy product, Jeremie Frimpong. Previously, the list included Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold but the English defender has expressed a desire to remain on English shores.
Walker will be a challenging acquisition. He just extended his contract last summer after a move to Bayern Munich failed to materialize. Walker is considered a crucial member of the squad, and Manchester City are adamant that he’ll not be sold.
Cancelo is a more achievable target, with the player deemed unsuitable to Guardiola’s style of play and getting sent out on loan for the past season and a half. Speaking about the club’s plans for Cancelo, Guardiola said, “About what’s going to happen, it depends on his agents and the club. In the end, if he has to stay we will treat him like all the other players, with respect, and try to take the best from the huge qualities he has.” Given his evidently untenable situation at City, it is evident that Al Hilal have a good chance of acquiring Cancelo’s services should there be no challengers for his signature in Europe.
