Saudi Arabia's soccer kingdom is in the midst of an unprecedented transfer storm, following the huge signings of stars and now an even more ambitious pursuit of world-renowned managers. According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Saudi giants Hilal FC have thrown 30 million euros in annual salary (about 250 million Hong Kong dollars) to invite Juventus coach Arriki in good faith, and it is expected that this heavyweight deal will be finalized in the near future.
The Hilal club, which has already managed to bring in Chelsea defender Golibani and Wolves midfielder Rubin Neves, is now plotting to bring in a top coach to lead the team on its new journey. They are looking at the 55-year-old Italian manager Aricchi, who has won numerous awards in his career, including six Serie A trophies with AC Milan and Juventus, and two Champions League finals with Juve.
However, after Aricchi's return to Juve two years ago, the team's performance has not been satisfactory, and this season, he was even deducted 10 points for suspected match-fixing, resulting in the team not being able to qualify for next season's Champions League. In the face of this predicament, the team's management may be looking to replace their manager. Hilal took the opportunity to extend an olive branch to the manager, who earns only 7 million euros (HK$60 million) a year with an additional 2 million euros (HK$17 million) in floating bonuses, and offered him a three-year fixed deal with an annual salary of up to 30 million euros, which is far more than what he is currently earning.
