Excessive financial demands scuppered pre-Club World Cup signings, says Al-Hilal CEO
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Hilal v Al Qadsiah - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - May 26, 2025 Al Hilal's Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Al-Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada said they were confident in their Club World Cup squad's strength despite failing to secure any big names in the tournament's build-up, adding that talks with several targets collapsed due to excessive financial demands.
The Riyadh-based club, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, parted ways with marquee signing Neymar earlier this year, but still boasts prominent players including Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
However, unlike Real Madrid who bolstered their squad with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester City, who added Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, Al-Hilal made no major European acquisitions during the tournament’s designated transfer window.
The club’s most notable addition ahead of Wednesday's opening match against Real Madrid in Miami was Italian manager Simone Inzaghi, appointed earlier this month.
"This is the first time we've faced this transfer window... It's been difficult for us to find our bearings, including finding the right coach (Inzaghi) who could take charge of the team for the tournament," Calzada told Spanish daily Marca in an interview published on Friday.
"We operate with a budget that we have to meet, and it's true that sometimes some players or agents don't understand that... There's been a lot of activity, but in the end we haven't made any deals."
Asked about the challenges they faced in the mini transfer window, given the club's reputation for big spending, the CEO said players were demanding too much money.
"Firstly, because we have a lot of confidence in our team, and secondly, because the circumstances haven't been right, including the fact that some people have gone crazy with the fees they're asking for; they think we can reach any figure," he added.
"Truly, what a player can earn in Saudi Arabia will always be much more than what they can earn in Europe. But clearly, we don't have unlimited resources, nor do we print money.
"In fact, we've missed out on opportunities to sign players precisely because they believed money was inexhaustible, and we have to manage the club sustainably and on reasonable terms."
After their match against Real Madrid, Al-Hilal will face Austria’s RB Salzburg and Mexico’s Pachuca in Group H.
