Al-Ahli are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Roma defender Roger Ibanez with a medical being prepared for the Brazilian international.
According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, a fee of €28.5 million (£24 million) plus a further €3 million (£2.5 million) in bonuses with a 20% sell-on clause inserted into the deal.
Al-Ahli have been crying out for more defenders this summer and Ibanez may well be the ideal target for the Saudi side.
With Edouard Mendy in goal, Al-Ahli may well be building a side that could be fancied for the league title this season.
Ibanez joins the Saudi side with a good reputation following a good season with Roma last year as they reached the UEFA Europa League final before they lost against Sevilla on penalties.
The defender loves a goal too, with three goals in back-to-back seasons, the defender may well have an eye for a goal from a set-piece if he completes his move to the Middle East.
The Brazilian defender excels in tackles and interceptions and at just 24, it seems a shock that the defender, who has such high potential, would be making the move to the Saudi Pro League.
There has been tentative interest from Premier League sides this summer with Tottenham Hotspur interested according to Roma Giallorossa, but it seems the move to Matthias Jaissle’s Al-Ahli is the most likely option for the 24-year-old defender.
As mentioned, Ibanez is more of an old-school defender.
The Brazilian excels in the defensive side of the game but struggles with the ball-playing aspects of the game with just 2.2 progressive passes completed per 90, which ranks him 77th in Europe’s top 5 leagues according to FBREF.
Ibanez would, despite this, represent another significant coup for the Saudi side if they were to pull off the deal with a medical scheduled for today.
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