Saudi Bound Jose Mourinho Receives His 1st Transfer in Cristiano Ronaldo’s Teammate as Al Shabab Rumors Intensify

Jose Mourinho is closer than ever to Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab. His agent reportedly informed Al Shabab’s recruitment committee of his willingness to travel to Riyadh for negotiations. Al Shabab is just waiting for the Finance Committee of the Ministry of Sports to approve the Mourinho deal. Even though the deal is yet to be finalized, the recruitment committee has agreed to poach Seko Fofana from Al Nassr.

As per 9NFCBall, Al Shabab has okayed the new signing. This comes shortly after rumors linked Fofana to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq. They reportedly eyed Fofana as a potential replacement for midfield veteran Jordan Henderson, who abruptly left the club. Anyhow, the Ivorian midfielder was earlier linked to Al Shabab on a potential loan move. It is yet to be confirmed if Cristiano Ronaldo‘s teammate is joining Al Shabab on loan or a permanent deal.

Besides, Fofana inked a 3-year deal with Al Nassr last year, having more than two years remaining in his contract. However, he will probably move to Al Shabab before Jose Mourinho switches, as he has been having a bumpy ride at Al Nassr. When Al Nassr struggled to make a mark at one point in the current season, he publicly revealed he was “unhappy,” posting a picture from the training camp. Even when they have okayed Fofana’s move, Al Shabab is delaying confirming Mourinho’s arrival. Perhaps the Riyadh outfit is mulling if they can fund a big-shot boss like the Special One!

Are financial constraints standing in Al Shabab’s way to finalize the Jose Mourinho deal?

No reports or rumors have so far suggested that Al Shabab is financially struggling to finalize Jose Mourinho’s deal. However, they are awaiting the Finance Committee’s approval. Furthermore, Al Shabab is not one of the clubs owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The PIF owns Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli. On the back of their inability to land superstars like the aforementioned clubs, Al Shabab is struggling as the 11th-seeded team in the Saudi League table.

READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. Set For $20M Boost, Thanks to Al Nassr’s China Friendlies: Reports

Moreover, last year’s rumors suggested, a Saudi club offered Jose Mourinho a world-record salary. At AS Roma, he earned around $12 million annually. Though it was not a world-record sum, it was enough to keep him on the list of most-paid soccer managers. Matching a similar salary or more is too easy a job for the PIF-owned Saudi clubs. But Al Shabab, which houses just three overseas stars, will probably struggle to splash so much on the 60-year-old mastermind. Anyhow, not offering the best to a man of Mourinho’s stature is rather unwise, and Shabab is likely to raise the stakes.

Do you think Mourinho will soon join Seko Fofana? Tell us in the comments below.

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