A group of Al-Ahli players have asked the club’s board to strengthen the midfield during the current transfer window, with the squad facing changes before the start of the new season.
According to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah, several members of the team held a meeting with Portuguese sporting director Rui Pedro to discuss the club’s plans for the midfield. During the meeting, they urged him to sign a new foreign player in the holding midfield position.
The players told Rui Pedro that the team needed an additional midfielder capable of improving its balance and adding greater strength in the centre of the pitch. Their request comes after a number of changes to Al-Ahli’s squad in recent weeks, including the departure of several key players.
The group also presented another possible solution: bringing Franck Kessie back to the club.
Kessie is viewed by the players as an option who already understands the environment at Al-Ahli and has previously produced strong performances in the club’s shirt. His familiarity with the team and its surroundings was cited as a reason for considering a return alongside the possibility of recruiting a different overseas player.
The calls from the squad come as Al-Ahli continue to assess what their final squad will look like for the coming campaign. The club are yet to settle the make-up of the midfield, with the list of departures and the wider changes to the team prompting concern over the area.
The board is expected to decide how to reinforce the holding midfield role in the coming period. It will then have to choose between signing a new foreign player or attempting to bring Kessie back to Al-Ahli.
The discussions reflect the uncertainty surrounding the club’s preparations for the new season. Rather than identifying only one target, the players have highlighted the need for a midfielder who can provide greater stability and physical strength, while also putting forward a familiar name in Kessie as an alternative.
Any move for the Ivorian would represent an effort to restore a player who already knows the club, while a new overseas signing would give the squad a fresh option in the position. The final decision remains with Al-Ahli’s management as it reviews the squad following the recent departures and prepares for the start of the campaign.