Al Hilal’s latest transfer activity points to a significant reset in the club’s attacking strategy. After two seasons in which the Riyadh side failed to secure a major domestic or continental title beyond the Saudi Super Cup in 2024-25 and the King’s Cup last season, the club is now examining a major change at the centre-forward position.

According to reports, Al Hilal is negotiating with three high-profile strikers: Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa and Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray. The club’s objective appears to be securing one of the three before making a final decision on Karim Benzema’s future.

The structure of the plan is particularly revealing. If Al Hilal succeeds in signing one of the targeted forwards, Benzema would leave the club permanently. If negotiations with all three fail, the French striker is expected to remain at least until the January transfer window.

This approach suggests that Al Hilal is not simply searching for another attacking option. It is attempting to redesign the profile of its leading striker around a player who can fit its sporting ambitions while also strengthening the club’s international commercial position.

Harry Kane represents the most ambitious option on the list. Reports indicate that Al Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi has held discussions with the England captain to understand his plans for the near future. However, a move this summer appears difficult, particularly with Kane reportedly approaching a two-year contract extension with Bayern Munich.

From a market perspective, Kane would represent the strongest combination of sporting credibility and global brand value. His profile could significantly increase Al Hilal’s international visibility, but the financial and contractual barriers make him the least straightforward target of the three.

Watkins appears to be a more direct transfer-market opportunity. Al Hilal reportedly submitted an offer worth €45 million including add-ons to Aston Villa. The proposal followed two previous approaches, while Watkins himself is understood to be enthusiastic about the possibility of moving to Saudi Arabia.

Aston Villa, however, rejected the latest €45 million proposal, meaning Al Hilal still faces a negotiation if it wants to secure the England international.

The Watkins pursuit demonstrates the scale of the club’s current spending ambitions, but it also shows that Saudi clubs are increasingly operating in a competitive European transfer environment. Even a substantial offer does not guarantee access to a player when the selling club considers retaining him strategically important.

Victor Osimhen provides another high-value alternative. His inclusion gives Al Hilal a different sporting profile from Kane and Watkins, while maintaining the same objective of adding an elite-level striker capable of leading the attack.

The three-player shortlist also provides Al Hilal with negotiating flexibility. Rather than tying the entire recruitment strategy to a single name, the club can compare sporting characteristics, transfer costs, salary expectations and commercial potential before committing to one option.

That flexibility is important because the departure of Benzema would itself carry sporting and financial implications. The French striker arrived with one of the strongest individual brands in world football, meaning his exit would represent more than a change in the starting lineup. It would also mark another stage in the evolution of Al Hilal’s high-profile recruitment strategy.

The club’s decision therefore appears to be based on a broader question: what type of star should lead Al Hilal’s next competitive cycle?

Kane offers experience and global recognition. Watkins offers Premier League pedigree and a potentially more attainable transfer structure. Osimhen offers a younger profile and a different physical and tactical dimension. Each option would shape the team and its commercial identity in a different way.

The situation involving Darwin Nunez adds another layer to the restructuring. The Uruguayan forward had been close to joining Turkish side Trabzonspor, where he could have reunited with former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah. Instead, his destination has reportedly shifted to Al-Diriyah, with an agreement in place for a one-season loan from Al Hilal.

The move would allow Al Hilal to reduce congestion in its attacking department while keeping control of Nunez’s future. A loan can also provide the player with regular playing time and give the club an opportunity to reassess his position within the squad after the season.

For Al-Diriyah, acquiring a player of Nunez’s profile would represent a significant sporting statement. For Al Hilal, the arrangement offers a relatively flexible way to manage a valuable asset while the club reshapes its forward line.

Taken together, the moves point toward a broader transformation rather than isolated transfer decisions. Al Hilal appears to be balancing three priorities: improving results, refreshing the squad’s attacking structure and maintaining the global visibility that has become central to the Saudi club market.

The commercial dimension is particularly important. Signing another internationally recognized striker could strengthen Al Hilal’s appeal to sponsors, international audiences and broadcasters. At the same time, the club must ensure that star recruitment translates into competitive performance, because the value of these investments increasingly depends on success on the pitch.

The next phase of Al Hilal’s strategy will therefore be defined not simply by which striker arrives, but by how effectively the club integrates that player into a sustainable sporting project.

If Kane proves unattainable and Aston Villa continues to resist the Watkins approach, Osimhen could become increasingly important to the decision-making process. Meanwhile, the future of Benzema and the loan move involving Nunez suggest that Al Hilal is already preparing for a different attacking structure.

The club’s current transfer activity reflects the evolution of Saudi football from headline-driven recruitment toward increasingly sophisticated squad management. The biggest names remain central to the strategy, but the underlying objective is becoming clearer: build a squad capable of competing consistently while turning sporting investment into long-term institutional and commercial value.