From Salah to Kane: rumours that shook the Roshen mercato and ignited fans' dreams

Mohamed Salah stayed among the names most closely tied to Al-Ittihad's dreams, with talk resurfacing throughout the year of the club's desire to sign the Egyptian star once his Liverpool journey ended. 

Saudi interest in Salah had climbed sharply in recent years. His name cropping up again in the 2026 transfer window came as no surprise, especially after his Liverpool exit and the mounting speculation over where he would go next.

Read also: Who is the biggest winner? The Roshn transfer window smiles on the top four and turns its back on Al-Nassr!

The irony? Salah opted for a fresh challenge away from the Roshn League altogether, joining Turkey's Trabzonspor. His move to Al-Ittihad became one of the biggest rumours to fire up the imagination of "the Dean's" fans without ever materialising on the pitch.

Harry Kane's name, meanwhile, featured heavily in Al-Hilal's plans, with reports linking him to the club alongside Ollie Watkins. In the end "the Boss" turned to the other English striker and got the Watkins deal over the line.

At Al-Hilal, too, the talk didn't stop at Kane. Nigeria's Victor Osimhen found himself linked with the club as it hunted a world-class striker, turning the attack of "the Boss" into one of the market's most controversial files.

Vinicius Junior fuelled the same frenzy. Huge speculation swirled around a possible move to Saudi Arabia, whether to Al-Hilal or Al-Ahli, a rumour that would have triggered a real earthquake had it become an official deal.

Reality told a different story. Al-Hilal chose to focus on Martinelli, who joined from Arsenal in a major deal. Alongside Summerville and Watkins, he hands "the Boss" an almost entirely new attacking line.

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The rumours were not limited to forwards. Bruno Fernandes found himself strongly linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, with reports naming Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad among his suitors. The player settled his own future, though, choosing to stay at Manchester United and collapsing one of the biggest potential deals on the market.

Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, cropped up as one of the names linked with Al-Qadsiah and its ambitious plan to lure top-tier stars. The club had already begun casting itself as a rising force capable of drawing big names, a point made clear by the signing of Tijjani Reijnders from Manchester City on a long-term contract.

The De Bruyne talk never grew beyond interest and speculation. It never became an official deal, and Al-Qadsiah pressed on with other targets instead.

Robert Lewandowski was also strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, specifically to Al-Ittihad, amid his departure from Barcelona. Reports claimed the player turned down a truly enormous offer, choosing instead to continue along a different path.

Virgil van Dijk's name emerged too among the defenders Saudi clubs wanted, while Son Heung-min was floated as a potential option for Al-Ittihad. Add rumours about top goalkeepers such as Alisson Becker and Ederson, and the picture grows even fuller.

These names reveal something important about the Roshn mercato in 2026. The Saudi league is no longer merely a destination for big players winding down their careers. It now features in discussions about the world's most prominent stars, even when the negotiations go nowhere.

What's striking is that some of these rumours ended in genuine deals. Others became targets that were never completed. A few remained mere market talk. But the impact was the same: the Roshn league became a daily presence in the global transfer market.

Perhaps the greatest gain from these rumours was what they revealed about the widening ceiling of ambition within Saudi football. Salah, Kane, Osimhen, Vinicius, Bruno, De Bruyne, Lewandowski and Van Dijk. Simply linking these names with Roshn clubs was enough to create a blazing mercato.

Between rumour and deal, Saudi clubs genuinely achieved part of their dreams. Others remain postponed to coming mercatos. So if this is the ceiling of the rumours in 2026, the real question now is this: who will be the global name who turns from a mere circulating story into a deal that shakes the Roshn league next time around?