The curse of money: will the Mbappé and Vinícius drama move from Real Madrid to Al-Hilal?

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The Zaeem manages the transfer window in a strange way

What does Al-Hilal want from the summer transfer window? The club's fans keep asking, and no clear answer comes back. Confusion reigns inside the management, especially when it comes to foreign signings.

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Did Al-Hilal sign Somerville to be a substitute?

Al-Hilal have already wrapped up their first foreign signing of the summer, landing Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville from West Ham United for 80 million euros, according to some press reports.

Those same reports make Summerville the second most expensive signing in the history of the Saudi league. Only Neymar cost more, the Brazilian having joined Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 for 90 million euros.

No sooner had the Summerville deal gone through than Al-Hilal found themselves linked with a string of other attackers. Strangely, some of them play the very same left-wing role the Dutchman occupies.

The biggest name among them was Colombian Luis Diaz, the Bayern Munich winger. England's Jack Grealish also featured, back at Manchester City after the end of his loan spell at Everton.

All this chasing of other players threw up plenty of questions about Summerville's future. Had Al-Hilal really paid that huge sum only for him to serve as backup to a bigger name like Diaz or Grealish?

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3 better solutions

Al-Hilal, meanwhile, have been linked with players better suited to the right wing or the centre-forward role: England striker Harry Kane, French winger Ousmane Dembélé and Senegal's Iliman Ndiaye.

Landing one of that trio makes more sense. It would mean moving on one of the current squad rather than a recent arrival.

Kane's arrival could cost Karim Benzema his place. That is hardly far-fetched, given the run of injuries that plagued the French striker throughout the second half of last season.

Ndiaye, on the other hand, would most likely spell the end for Brazilian winger Malcom. That too is on the cards, with clubs in Brazil, Qatar and the UAE keen on his signature.

Dembélé's case would land squarely on Simone Inzaghi's desk. The Italian coach would have to pick his victim, because the French star can operate on the right wing as well as through the middle as an out-and-out centre-forward, the role he has filled of late.

The lesson is not in the names

Al-Hilal have earmarked a colossal 350 million dollars for signings this summer, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri. It's a staggering sum by Saudi league standards.

That kind of money could land some of world football's biggest names. It could also wreck the side, though, if the club chase glittering signings rather than address what the team actually needs.

Luis Díaz would be a very strong signing if it goes through, but that was before Summerville arrived. The deal would now spark a major crisis, forcing the Dutch winger to switch position or settle for a place on the bench.

Al-Hilal themselves stand to lose the most. Instead of fielding eight foreign players who could all feature regularly in their positions, they would have to bench some of them or shove them into roles they don't favour.

Mbappé and Vinícius's tragedy

No side illustrates this better than Real Madrid. A galaxy of glittering names, yet nothing to show for it over the last two seasons bar the European Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Both of those seasons shared a common thread: the arrival of French star Kylian Mbappé on a free transfer, once his contract with former club Paris Saint-Germain expired.

Every coach since Mbappé walked through the door has wrestled with the same puzzle. Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa all tried to pair him with Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior, whether by shifting one of them out of position or fielding both in the same role.

The outcome never changed. The idea failed on a tactical level, and the team paid the price in attack and in defence alike.

Dressing-room problems piled up on top of that, and some spilled into the open. Vinícius Júnior openly objected to Xabi Alonso's decision to substitute him in the La Liga Clásico.

Real Madrid are now trying to solve the dilemma by selling Vinícius Júnior, unless he agrees to renew. The message is simple: what matters is not the names of the stars nor their financial value, but their output on the pitch.

Real Madrid are learning that lesson the hard way after two almost trophyless seasons. Al-Hilal are about to make the same mistake and expect a different result, and that is a trap they must avoid.