Al Nassr are the only club in the Saudi Pro League yet to complete a signing during the current summer transfer window after Al Ettifaq made their first addition of the summer.
Al Ettifaq signed Kosovo international playmaker Bersant Celina on a free transfer on Wednesday. The 28-year-old joined after his contract with Greek club AEK expired.
The deal was completed after Al Ettifaq received approval from the Saudi Pro League’s Recruitment Committee. The club had previously been operating under financial restrictions that limited its ability to conduct business in the transfer market.
Celina’s arrival means every team in the Saudi Pro League has now completed at least one summer signing, with Al Nassr the sole exception.
Al Nassr had reached an agreement with Spanish club Real Mallorca to sign Portuguese midfielder Samu Costa. However, the transfer has not yet been completed because of the financial restrictions placed on the Riyadh-based club.
A previous report by Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiyah said Al Nassr was facing a substantial debt burden, estimated at 800m Saudi riyals. That level of debt led to financial limitations being imposed on the club, preventing it from completing new signings.
The restrictions have created concern for Al Nassr as they prepare to defend their Saudi Pro League title. The club needs to strengthen its squad, particularly after the departure of Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, whose contract expired at the end of last season.
Brozovic’s exit has left an important gap in midfield, while the delay over Costa’s proposed move means Al Nassr have yet to add any new player to their squad this summer.
Supporters are hoping the financial issue can be resolved as soon as possible, with the new Saudi Pro League season due to begin in one week.
Al Nassr will start their campaign on Saturday, 15 August, when they face Al Fateh in the opening round of the competition.
The club’s lack of transfer activity stands in contrast to the rest of the league, where every other side has now made at least one addition. Al Ettifaq’s agreement for Celina was particularly significant because it came after the club secured permission to operate in the market despite the financial controls previously affecting it.
For Al Nassr, the immediate priority remains finding a way through those restrictions before the season begins. Until the proposed move for Samu Costa is formally completed, they remain the only Saudi Pro League club without a new signing this summer.