Former Al-Ittihad star Mohamed Noor has urged Al-Hilal to allow Malcom to join their Saudi rivals, arguing the Brazilian winger should be made available if the Riyadh club no longer requires his services.
Reports suggest Malcom could leave Al-Hilal before the summer transfer window closes, although his next destination remains uncertain.
“If Al-Hilal do not want Malcom to continue, let the player move to Al-Ittihad. Both clubs are owned by the Public Investment Fund,” Noor said on the Nabdina programme on MBC on Friday evening.
Malcom scored in Al-Hilal’s 4-2 victory over Al-Faisaly in the opening round of the Roshn Saudi League later that night. However, the 28-year-old appeared frustrated when journalists asked him about the speculation surrounding his future after the match.
“I now represent Al-Hilal, and this is the place to ask about the match,” Malcom said.
His response appeared to signal that he did not want to discuss reports of a possible departure or engage in further questions about his situation.
Malcom joined Al-Hilal from Zenit Saint Petersburg and has continued to feature for the club despite the uncertainty over his position in the squad. The forward’s performance against Al-Faisaly came as speculation about a potential transfer intensified ahead of the deadline.
Noor also suggested that Al-Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi would be well suited to take charge of Al-Ittihad, based on the Italian’s footballing approach.
“From what I have heard, Al-Ittihad would have signed Inzaghi if he had left Al-Hilal this summer,” Noor added.
Inzaghi’s future at Al-Hilal has been the subject of media speculation in recent weeks. The club, however, renewed its confidence in the former Inter Milan manager and retained him for the start of the new campaign.
The Italian coach is now preparing Al-Hilal for the season while Al-Ittihad begin their league campaign under German manager Jens Vissing. Al-Ittihad are scheduled to play Al-Kholood on Saturday evening in their first Roshn Saudi League fixture of the season.
Noor’s comments therefore link two separate areas of uncertainty at the leading Saudi clubs: Malcom’s reported availability and the earlier questions over whether Inzaghi would remain in charge at Al-Hilal.
With Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad both operating under the Public Investment Fund, Noor argued that a move between the clubs would be a practical solution if Malcom is not part of Inzaghi’s plans. For now, though, the player remains an Al-Hilal footballer and has made clear that he does not wish to address the transfer reports beyond focusing on matches.