Al-Hilal are pressing ahead with their summer business as they hunt for a new striker, with Karim Benzema's future at the club still up in the air. The Saudi giants have made England's Ollie Watkins one of their top targets to succeed the Frenchman and bolster their attack before the window shuts.
An opening offer worth close to 45 million euros went in for Watkins, only for Aston Villa to knock it back. Talks have carried on regardless. Al-Hilal are set on landing him, and the 30-year-old fancies a fresh challenge in the Saudi Pro League.
An exclusive report from "TEAMtalk", published this Friday, says Al-Hilal are readying a fresh financial offer to get the Watkins deal over the line, now that Villa's asking price has become clearer during negotiations.
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Villa want around 65 million euros to let their striker go. Sources close to the talks reckon 60 million should be enough to seal it.
Al-Hilal hold one big card: they have already agreed personal terms with Watkins, according to the same source. That leaves the fee as the only real hurdle between them and their man.
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All of this unfolds with Benzema's own situation still unresolved, even after the Frenchman insisted recently that he would stay with the team for now. That leaves any new striker signing tied to how Al-Hilal reshape the centre-forward role and settle Benzema's future.