Al Ahli are pursuing France World Cup midfielder Manu Kone as part of a major summer rebuild, but any move hinges on the Saudi club offloading out-of-favour Frenchman Enzo Millot.
The Jeddah side have identified Kone – who shone for France at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico – as their preferred replacement for Millot, according to Italian journalist Gianluca Longari.
Kone emerges as priority target
Longari reports that Al Ahli’s sporting director, Portuguese executive Rui Pedro, has decided Millot does not feature in his plans for next season and has instructed the club to focus on signing a new central midfielder.
Kone, currently with Roma, has emerged as the leading candidate. The 25-year-old impressed on the biggest stage last summer, featuring in five matches for France at the 2026 World Cup, starting four of them. While he did not score or provide an assist during the tournament, his overall performances in the centre of the pitch are understood to have caught the eye of both scouts and coaches.
However, Al Ahli face stiff competition. Kone is attracting interest from several leading European clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid, making any Saudi bid a complex and highly competitive pursuit.
Double midfield move on the table
Kone is not the only midfielder on Al Ahli’s radar. Longari wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the Saudi Pro League side are also targeting Senegal international Idrissa Gueye, who became a free agent after leaving Everton at the end of last season when his contract expired.
The experienced holding midfielder, who has previously played for Paris St-Germain as well as Everton, would bring significant European and international pedigree to Al Ahli’s engine room if a deal can be finalised.
But the club’s ability to complete either move is constrained by their foreign-player quota and squad planning. Al Ahli must first find a buyer for Millot in the current summer transfer window before they can register Kone or Gueye, a situation that is complicating negotiations.
Millot exit proving difficult
Despite being deemed surplus to requirements by Rui Pedro, Millot has yet to receive any concrete offers, according to local reports, leaving Al Ahli in a holding pattern.
The French midfielder joined the club from VfB Stuttgart last summer and initially made an instant impact in the Saudi Pro League. He began the season strongly, commanding a starting place and contributing regularly in attack.
Over the course of the campaign, the 22-year-old featured in 40 matches in all competitions, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists – a productive return for a central midfielder. However, his performances dipped in the latter stages of the season, leading the club’s hierarchy to reassess his long-term role.
Strategic rebuild under way
Al Ahli’s moves in the transfer market underline the club’s ambition to upgrade their midfield as they seek to challenge more consistently at the top of the Saudi Pro League and in continental competition.
Targeting a World Cup performer such as Kone, alongside the proven defensive qualities of Gueye, signals a desire for a more dynamic and balanced midfield core.
Whether those plans can be realised will depend on Al Ahli’s success in securing an exit for Millot – a player who, despite a respectable statistical return, no longer appears central to Rui Pedro’s project in Jeddah.
