"Who brought them to this state?": a legal warning that terrifies Al-Nassr over Felix's contract

He explained that for the clause to be valid and irrevocable, it requires an increase in the player's annual salary of no less than 20%, and that the extension period be proportionate to the duration of the original contract, conditions which are currently met.

Another condition, according to the Saudi legal expert, is that the player has a "separate acceptance from the original transfer agreement with Chelsea".

Speaking to the programme "Nadina", Al-Shaikhi said the extension conditions are already met. But Al-Nassr's management must move quickly to activate the clause before the winter transfer window.

He warned of the legal risks from Al-Nassr's delay in settling its position, pointing out that continued waiting could open the door to complications over the player's contractual rights.

Writing on his X account, he said: "The longer Al-Nassr delays activating the renewal clause for the player Joao Felix, the greater the legal risk of losing the player, in order to cut off the opportunity for the player so that he does not back out. Also, some arbitrators of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) sympathise greatly with a player who is denied the right to negotiate in the last 6 months of his contract", noting that Felix's contract expires in June 2027.

Al-Nassr worded the extension clause well, he added, in a way that makes it binding on the player. Even so, the management still need to move to activate it at the right time.

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Sources had confirmed to Koora earlier that Al-Nassr had moved to activate the extension clause in Felix's contract until the summer of 2029. Barcelona want the player back, and his agent Jorge Mendes is working to arrange a move to the Catalan club.

Al-Nassr media figure Bandar Al-Dubaikhi, meanwhile, has cast doubt on the reality of João Félix's renewal. With reports conflicting over the activation of the extension clause, he stressed that the final decision rests with the club's owner, the Public Investment Fund, as the party responsible for providing the financial value needed to complete the deal.

The matter is growing more complicated, Al-Dubaikhi noted, given the restrictions imposed on Al-Nassr and the weakness of the sponsorships, as he put it. His question was pointed: "Who brought Al-Nassr to this state?".

So Al-Nassr's management face a decision that goes beyond simply keeping one of the team's stars. It comes down to the timing of the clause's activation, the financial obligations attached to it, and whether the club can settle the file before the player enters the window that lets him negotiate with other clubs. Will they pass the test?