Fahd Al-Harifi, the former Al-Nassr star, has launched a scathing attack on Al-Hilal's management, criticising what he described as the excessive number of foreign players in the squad of "the Boss". He argued that keeping so many despite the departure of several prominent names reflects a state of financial waste, and he called for financial oversight to guarantee fair competition between all Roshn League clubs.
His remarks come at a time when Al-Nassr are grappling with financial challenges that have clearly affected their movements in the transfer market. The commitments and debts accumulated from last season have reduced the ability of "the Global" to conclude new deals, with the exception of signing Portuguese midfielder Samu Costa during the current window.
The Al-Nassr legend believes Al-Hilal's situation raises plenty of question marks, especially with the club retaining so many foreign players despite the departure of prominent names in recent months. He questioned how the financial file is being handled and the oversight standards imposed on clubs.
Speaking on the "Dawrina Ghair" programme, Al-Harifi said: "Al-Hilal has an unreasonable financial waste, and I don't know where the financial oversight is regarding what is happening. I sell Neymar to Brazil, Marcos Leonardo to the Dutch league and Cancelo to Barcelona, then you find 17 foreign players remaining in the team. This is called financial waste, of course."
He went on: "Whenever we speak, they tell us that the one who brought the players is Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, although some say that the ownership has not transferred completely, then they say there are other revenues." His words point to the ongoing controversy over the club's funding sources and their ability to cover the costs of the current squad.
Pressing his criticism further, Al-Harifi questioned why financial standards differ from one club to the next. "Where is the financial oversight that slams Al-Nassr into the wall?" he asked. "There is no fairness in competition. Is it reasonable that Al-Waleed bin Talal paid all the current salaries? And who pays Cancelo's salary despite his return to the team and his situation with Barcelona not being resolved?"
For Al-Harifi, the sheer number of open files within Al-Hilal points to disorganisation in the running of the squad. "There is chaos and disorder at Al-Hilal, and I do not rule out the departure of Karim Benzema, and that they bring a better player than him, as well as Yassine Bounou," he added, floating speculation about the future of several of the team's biggest stars.
His comments reopen a wider debate about the gulf between clubs in the transfer market, particularly given the financial crisis facing Al-Nassr. He believes some rivals enjoy far greater room to manoeuvre when managing player and salary files, an area he insists needs more clarity and oversight to ensure a level playing field.