In a surprising turn of events within the corridors of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr club, the club’s management decided to freeze the transfer deal of Brazilian goalkeeper Pinto Matheus to the Italian club Genoa, following the painful loss suffered by the team against its traditional rival Al-Hilal.
This decision came as a direct reaction to the result of the Riyadh derby, which brought together the two poles as part of the fifteenth round of the Roshan Professional League at the "Kingdom Arena" stadium, and ended with Al-Zaeem winning by three goals to one for Al-Nassr.
Details of the deal freeze and Italian reports
According to the reliable Italian network Sky Sports, Al-Nassr has officially halted the transfer of Pinto Matheus to Genoa for at least six months. Reports indicate that the two clubs had already reached a near-final agreement on all financial and contractual details of the goalkeeper's departure, but recent developments have forced Al-Nassr's decision-makers to reconsider and reassess the situation.
The security crisis and Al-Aqeedi's mistakes
The primary reason behind this dramatic shift lies in the uncertainty surrounding the team's goalkeeping position. Recent matches have highlighted the inconsistency of goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi, who has made several costly errors, most recently in the derby against Al-Hilal, in addition to previous blunders in the last round's match against Al-Qadisiyah.
This decline in the level of local goalkeeping made the idea of letting go of a foreign goalkeeper of Pinto Matheus's caliber a huge risk whose consequences could not be borne in light of the fierce competition for local and continental titles.
The repercussions and impact of the Riyadh derby
This decision cannot be separated from the overall context of the Saudi League competition, where the Al-Hilal vs. Al-Nassr derby serves as a true measure of a team's readiness to compete for the title. The 3-1 loss was not merely a loss of three points; it was a wake-up call that exposed defensive weaknesses and the team's urgent need for stability in its back line.
Al-Nasr management realizes that letting go of the team's main pillars in the middle of the season, especially in a sensitive position like goalkeeper, could lead to the collapse of the team's defensive system, which would keep the team away from the podium and anger Al-Nasr fans who aspire to see their team reach the top.
