Al-Hilal have entered a new phase of their summer transfer battle after running into strong European competition for one of their most prominent attacking targets. Italy's Simone Inzaghi wants to complete his front-line rebuild before the new season kicks off.
The Saudi club had already dealt their rivals a heavy blow by securing the Netherlands' Crysencio Summerville from England's West Ham United, one of the biggest deals of the summer. The management didn't stop there. They kept working the market in search of a new attacking winger.
Top of their priority list sits Senegal's Iliman Ndiaye, the Everton star, as the alternative plan should talks with France's Ousmane Dembélé stall. The Paris Saint-Germain winger remains the club's number one target for now.
But according to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, the path won't be a clear one. English pair Liverpool and Manchester City have entered the negotiations and shown strong interest in landing Ndiaye this window.
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Sporting desire alone won't settle this one, the newspaper explained. The financial side will prove decisive, whether that's the fee Everton receive or the annual salary needed to convince the player where his future lies.
Al-Hilal want to keep riding their transfer-market momentum after the deals they've already wrapped up. But a scrap with the giants of the English league could complicate matters and force the management to raise their financial offer if they want to secure one of the summer's most important deals.