Al-Hilal bid rejected for Manchester United target

The rise of the Saudi Pro League raised many eyebrows.

Back in 2023, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired 75% stakes at four major Saudi clubs and headline names started to arrive in the league.

The likes of Neymar, Fabinho, N’golo Kante, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and Sadio Mane all joined in the 2023/24 season,

However, it was the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo that saw the Saudi Pro League’s popularity really take off.

The novelty of the league’s high spending soon wore off, with the calibre of names diminishing by each transfer window.

Attendances have remained low in many stadiums in Saudi Arabia, and some players have been quick to exit such as Jordan Henderson, Neymar and Talisca.

Names such as Darwin Nunez joined the Saudi Pro League in the summer, but the quality of names has been lessened.

Al-Hilal signed Nunez but have been in the market for another forward.

It has been reported that they have made a bid for Rennes forward Mohamed Kader Meite.

Meite has also been linked with a move to Manchester United, who may feel the time is right to swoop in.

After the struggles of Benjamin Sesko since arriving at RB Leipzig, United have been linked with signing a forward for the past month or two.

This is in addition to midfield options such as Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton and Ruben Neves.

For Al-Hilal, the most successful Saudi Pro League side with 21 titles, they currently lead the table and have yet to lose a game this season.

For United, they will hope that they can maintain their recent form in their quest to secure UEFA Champions League football.