Bento Matheus is set to remain at Al-Nassr after the Saudi club reconsidered plans to sell the Brazilian goalkeeper during the current summer transfer window.
The decision has been influenced by the situation involving Nawaf Al-Aqidi and the lack of a suitable local goalkeeper who could replace Bento Matheus for the coming season, according to Saudi newspaper Al Yaum.
Bento Matheus had been regarded as one of the players who could leave Al-Nassr, but the latest developments have changed the club’s calculations. The goalkeeper now appears to have been given another opportunity to continue with the team, having already avoided a departure once before.
Al-Nassr are currently focused on retaining the core of their squad as they prepare for a new campaign featuring a large number of domestic and continental commitments. That schedule has made the prospect of allowing a member of the squad to leave without securing an adequate replacement increasingly difficult.
The club’s position has also been shaped by uncertainty surrounding Al-Aqidi. With no convincing local alternative available, the prospect of losing Bento Matheus would leave Al-Nassr with fewer dependable options in goal.
Bento Matheus was close to leaving during the previous winter transfer window after attracting interest from Italian club Genoa. However, the proposed move was not completed and the goalkeeper stayed at Al-Nassr.
His continuation at the club at that time coincided with a decline in Al-Aqidi’s level of performance. That situation made it important for Al-Nassr to retain their Brazilian goalkeeper rather than risk losing one of their principal options in the position.
A similar sequence of events has now emerged again. Bento Matheus was once more considered a possible departure during the summer, but the renewed concerns around Al-Aqidi have affected the club’s thinking. The difficulty of finding a local goalkeeper capable of meeting the required standard has added further weight to the decision.
As a result, circumstances inside Al-Nassr appear to have saved Bento Matheus from leaving for a second time. Instead of moving on, the Brazilian is expected to continue his spell with the club into the new season.
His future has therefore been determined less by a change in his own situation than by the problems surrounding the goalkeeping options available to Al-Nassr. With the team facing a demanding domestic and continental schedule, the club has concluded that retaining Bento Matheus is the safer option while no suitable local replacement has emerged.
The goalkeeper will now remain part of an Al-Nassr squad preparing for a season in which the club’s depth and stability will be tested across several competitions.
