RIYADH — In a historic deal, Al Hilal has announced the signing of Saudi international left-back Muteb Al Harbi from Al Shabab, making him the most expensive Saudi player in history. The 24-year-old will join the Riyadh giants on a five-year contract, which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2029. As part of the agreement, Al Hilal will also send midfielder Musab Al Juwayr to Al Shabab on a one-season loan. Al Hilal celebrated the signing on their social media platform X, with the message: "Wake up MUTEB.. it's the blue call." According to media reports, the deal cost Al Hilal approximately SR123 million, including taxes. The signing of Al Harbi witnessed dramatic developments in the early hours of Sunday, as Al Ahli, Al Hilal, and Al Nassr fiercely competed to secure the player's services, with the two Riyadh clubs leading the race. Although Al Nassr was on the verge of closing the deal, Al Hilal intervened at the last minute, successfully reaching an agreement with all parties involved on Sunday morning. Despite advanced negotiations between Al Nassr and Al Harbi, no official documents were signed, allowing Al Hilal to act swiftly and finalize the transfer. Initially, Al Shabab had agreed to sell the remaining duration of Al Harbi's contract to Al Nassr for SR 93 million on Saturday evening, surpassing other financial offers, including Al Hilal's. Just as the deal was being finalized, Al Hilal re-entered negotiations early Sunday, presenting a higher financial offer and the loan of Musab Al Juwayr, which convinced Al Shabab to switch sides and sign the agreement with Al Hilal. Al Harbi's contract with Al Shabab was originally set to run until the summer of 2026, having been extended in May 2021 for five years. Al Nassr expressed disappointment over the outcome of the transfer, acknowledging their efforts to finalize the deal. In a statement issued after Al Hilal's official announcement, Al Nassr detailed the lengthy negotiations and significant efforts made to reach an agreement. "The negotiations took a long time, and many efforts were made to reach a final agreement between the parties," the statement read. "We did everything we could to complete the deal, preparing the necessary contracts and sharing them with Al Shabab since Saturday, August 31, 2024." The statement also noted that Al Shabab had initially agreed to sign the contracts on Sunday morning but later withdrew, leading Al Nassr to question the sudden change and the increased transfer fee, which ultimately caused the deal to collapse. Al Shabab president Mohammed Al Munajem defended the club's decision, stating that securing the highest-value transfer in Saudi football history was in the best interest of the club. "Muteb Al Harbi has etched his name in the hearts of all Shabab fans and will always be a loyal son of our great club," Al Munajem said on X. "Prioritizing the club's best interests led us to achieve the biggest deal in our sport's history, and I thank my team for their efforts. We aim to meet our fans' ambitions in the time ahead."
