Roshn League midfields reshaped as Al-Ittihad overhaul, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli reboot, Al-Hilal hold firm | OneFootball

The Roshn League enters the new season with midfields in flux, as Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad rebuild while Al-Hilal stick with stability. According to Goal.com, exits of long-serving pillars have pushed clubs to retool the centre of the pitch.

Al-Nassr start without Marcelo Brozovic for the first time since 2023. Samu Costa is tipped to plug the gap, with Abdullah Al-Khaibari and Angelo expected to flank him in a tweaked set-up seeking better balance. Whether that trio can compensate for Brozovic’s playmaking from deep remains to be seen.

Al-Ahli begin again after Franck Kessié’s exit. New signing Eduard Spertsyan joins Ivorian Valentin Atangana, and the club are still pursuing another midfielder. The idea is to redistribute duties across the unit in line with the new staff’s plans and ambitions at home and abroad.

Perhaps the most radical shift is at Al-Ittihad, who ended the Fabinho spell dating back to 2023 and brought in Senegalese Dion Lopy from Almeria. Lopy joins Malian Mohamed Doumbia and Algerian Houssem Aouar, giving the midfield a distinctly African profile. The mix is intended to bring greater balance and a fresh tactical phase.

By contrast, Al-Hilal have largely stayed intact. Ruben Neves, Sergej Savic, Mohamed Kanno and Nasser Al-Dawsari remain the core, a group rich in experience and understanding.

That stability could hand Al-Hilal an early advantage, with little need for bedding-in. Their rivals may spend the opening rounds searching for the right combination.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”