Saudi Arabia has emerged as a haven for soccer stars in recent months. Well, it makes sense considering the amount of money the league has thrown at players to convince them to drop European soccer despite being at the peak of their careers. Former Olympique Marseille star Renan Lodi was amongst the players who made the switch to the Middle Eastern league in January, with the Brazilian signing a big-money deal with Al Hilal. However, it seems like his former side was in no mood to part ways with the player and had to grant his wishes after pressure from the player.

Lodi was part of a $25 million deal that saw him join Al-Hilal as their overseas pick following Neymar’s injury. And now, Olympique Marseille’s sporting director Mehdi Benatia commented on Lodi’s situation during an interview, revealing the reason behind the club’s decision to sell the player. Benatia stated, “Al Hilal’s offer arrived, and we hid it from the player in agreement with the president and coach because Lodi is important to us and a key player.”

However, the player’s agent informed Lodi of the deal, which saw him force his way out of the club to join Al Hilal. “Unfortunately, the player’s agent told him about Al Hilal’s offer after that, and he put pressure on us and said, Let me leave,” Benatia concluded.

Despite his big-money signing, the Brazilian is yet to make his debut appearance for his new side. The player has reportedly found it challenging to break into the first team with Al Hilal’s head coach Jorge Jesus, preferring to go with his set playing eleven.

Al Hilal continues to dominate the Saudi Pro League

The Blue Waves have been on fire this season, with the side comfortably positioning them at the top of the SPL standings. Al Hilal has played twenty games so far this season, with the team bagging 56 points while maintaining a seven-point margin over second-place Al Nassr. Aleksander Mitrovic has been firing on all cylinders this season following his move in the summer, with the Serbian bagging 20 goals to his name.

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Al Hilal will be eager to get their hands on the league title after their recent triumph during the Riyadh Season Cup. Jorge Jesus’ side is undoubtedly the front runners to wrap their hands around the league title, and this is their trophy to lose. It will be interesting to see if the side can continue with their dominating performances to bag the SPL title after a long wait.

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