The past few hours have witnessed exciting developments regarding the future of goalkeeping at Al-Nassr Saudi Club, as Turkish press reports revealed serious moves by Turkish club Besiktas to sign Brazilian international goalkeeper Pinto Matheus Kripski, the goalkeeper of "Al-Nassr", during the current winter transfer window.
Turkish interest and English competition
According to the Turkish newspaper Turkiye Gazetesi , Beşiktaş has shortlisted Brazilian goalkeeper Pinto, along with three other prominent names, to strengthen their goalkeeping position. Pinto is not the only option; he is competing on the list with Manchester City's Stefan Ortega and Chelsea's Philipp Jørgensen, reflecting the Turkish club's desire to acquire a big name with experience and high quality.
Victory stance and local challenges
This interest comes at a sensitive time for Al-Nassr, who rely heavily on Pinto's services, especially given the absences plaguing their goalkeeping position. The team is currently dealing with the two-match suspension of local goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi, who received a red card in the Riyadh derby against Al-Hilal, making the prospect of letting Pinto go extremely complicated for the Al-Nassr management, who are aiming to compete for all available titles.
Behind the scenes of Pinto's failed move to the Italian league
Besiktas' offer wasn't the first for the Brazilian goalkeeper recently; renowned Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, a transfer market specialist, revealed intriguing details about Pinto's failed move to Genoa. Di Marzio explained that the deal was close to completion, but a decisive technical decision by Al-Nassr's coaching staff halted the transfer.
Di Marzio indicated that Al-Nasr's management informed the Brazilian goalkeeper that he must remain as the starting goalkeeper until at least the end of the current season, with the possibility of discussing his future next summer, which prompted Genoa to abandon the idea and look for other alternatives.
Pinto's numbers and his career with Al-Nasr
Since joining Al-Nassr in the summer of 2024/2025 from Brazilian side Atlético Paranaense, the 26-year-old goalkeeper has proven his worth in protecting the team's goal. Pinto recently participated in group training sessions in preparation for upcoming matches. Statistics show that he has played in 10 matches recently, keeping a clean sheet in 5 and conceding 7 goals.
Overall, while wearing the Al-Nasr jersey, the international goalkeeper played 59 matches, managing to keep a clean sheet in 20 matches, while conceding 61 goals, thus becoming a key pillar in the capital team's lineup.
General context and potential impact of the deal
This news is of great importance given the significant activity in the Saudi Professional League (the Roshan League) in attracting and retaining international stars. The goalkeeper position is one of the most crucial areas that Saudi clubs have strengthened with world-class players such as Yassine Bounou, Edouard Mendy, and Pinto. The departure of a goalkeeper of Pinto's caliber mid-season could create a technical imbalance for Al-Nassr, while his move to Besiktas represents a valuable addition to the Turkish league, which is also striving to enhance its continental competitiveness.
