The big Saudi Pro League 2025 news story of the summer so far involves a head coach and not a player, and it’s a top-level name at that.
Simone Inzaghi has left Serie A giants Inter Milan to join Al-Hilal on a two-year contract having signed the deal in Paris last week. The 49-year-old Italian boss could pick up a cool 30m Euros over the next 24 months as he tries to win the Saudi title back for his new employers.
Al-Hilal, 19 times Saudi champions, came second in the 2024/25 Saudi Pro League as Al-Ittihad collected a tenth title in May. Meanwhile Napoli’s Serie A triumph was a damaging blow to Inter who finished the season without any silverware, and the Serie A 2025 betting odds will make interesting reading when they are put together in advance of the new campaign.
It could well be a good time for Inzaghi to make the move to Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of I Nerazzurri’s humiliating 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final; but he can hold his head high as he picked up six trophies at Inter, including one Serie A title, two Coppa Italias and three Italian Super Cups.
His new club called Inzaghi ‘The Italian Genius’ in their announcement of the deal, and he is now getting to work before his team takes on Real Madrid at the Club World Cup next week.
Can Inzaghi catch a big fish for Al-Hilal?
As well as getting to know his new players Inzaghi will play a huge role in recruitment this summer as the Saudi Pro League giants strive to bring more marquee signings to their club. With Portuguese stars Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo already part of the group, Al-Hilal were hopeful of signing Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, who made my SBOTOP pick of the Premier League players of the season. But, after leading the Red Devils to a terrible campaign, despite his own superb performances, Fernandes has turned down an approach from Al-Hilal to finish the job at Old Trafford, and follow a number of big-name players snubbing the Saudis. Serie A stars Victor Osimhen and Theo Hernandez have both turned down offers from Al-Hilal but, with a new stellar name in the dugout, the club is ready to go again and they are pondering a raid for two forwards.
Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokores is in Al-Hilal’s sights as a potential alternative recruit to Osimhen. The 27-year-old Swedish striker has ripped up the Portuguese league, scoring 68 goals in 66 appearances since his 2023 move from Coventry City and he is also a target for Manchester United. The Red Devils need to offload some players to balance the books and they have already signed Wolves’ Matheus Cunha, and that may open the door for Inzaghi and Al-Hilal to lure Gyokores.
The club is also upping its interest in another Portuguese international, Bernardo Silva, who starred alongside Fernandes and Neves in the Selecao’s Nations League final win over Spain on Sunday night. The 30-year-old attacking midfielder has picked up six Premier League titles with the Sky Blues and he has one year left on his contract at the Etihad.
If Al-Hilal can sign Silva that would certainly be a coup…can Inzaghi make the difference?
Inter set to appoint Chivu
Former Inter Milan playing star Cristian Chivu is about to be announced as I Nerazzurri’s new manager after he said farewell to his current club Parma on Monday morning. The Romanian won three Scudettos and a Champions League medal with Inter, and he came to the Italian club’s notice again when he guided Parma to safety in a tense relegation battle. The 44-year-old had just 13 games in charge at Parma but he cut his teeth as a coach with Inter Milan’s youth set-up, and the club will ask him to use his expertise in that area to bring younger players through the ranks.
Inter had already lined up Como coach Cesc Fabregas as their replacement for Inzaghi but when that move fell through, they switched their attention to Chivu, who is reportedly ready to sign a two-year contract worth 2.5m Euros, a lot of money but a drop in the ocean of cash heading his predecessor’s way! And Chivu will lead a team in front of packed crowd week after week where the spotlight will be glaring.
He takes over a club recently devastated by losses in the Scudetto and the Champions League and Chivu’s first task is to get his new squad mentally attuned to winning again. It’s going to be an interesting summer in Milan.
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