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In a stunning turn of events, Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ahli have surprisingly omitted their Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino from the domestic league squad to fit in the newest capture in January- Galeno. This, therefore, indicates that Firmino will only compete in the Asian Champions League for the rest of the season.
There is a Saudi Pro League rule allowing clubs to register a maximum of ten foreign players, though only eight are eligible for selection on match days. Prior to Galeno’s signing, the list of foreigners at Al Ahli included Riyad Mahrez, Ivan Toney, Franck Kessié, Édouard Mendy, Gabri Veiga, Merih Demiral, Roger Ibañez and Firmino himself. This required the club to make the difficult choice of discarding one of its current foreign players, in the form of Firmino, to accommodate Galeno into the squad. Roberto Firmino moved to Al Ahli in summer 2023 after eight successful years with Liverpool, during which he not only won a place in the fans’ hearts but also proved instrumental in the victories of such titles as the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. Such a deal was supposed to prove a serious interest of Saudi Arabia in reinforcing the attacking line of Al Ahli.
While Firmino’s start at Al Ahli began on a high note, his impacts have otherwise been mixed and blown.
He immediately made an impression by scoring a hat-trick in his debut against Al Hazem in August 2023, but those initial performances would soon fall into bad goalscoring form, including a 12-game goal drought. Considering his dip in form, possibly combined with the ambition of the club to really strengthen their squad, that is likely to have swayed Galeno’s registration over Firmino’s further participation in domestic league matches. The absence of Firmino from the Saudi Pro League squad inevitably begat speculation about his future at Al Ahli, as reports hinted that a number of clubs have approached to sign him. Most notably, Turkish giants Fenerbahçe, managed by José Mourinho, are reportedly keen on bringing Firmino to Istanbul. Also, there are clubs from Brazil, which follow with interest a possible development in the situation as a way to bring the forward home. The rest of the season, though, will see Firmino feature only in the Asian Champions League, where he showed he can still produce moments of magic when scoring a breathtaking bicycle kick against Al Sadd in recent weeks, a display which again highlighted his quality and may yet attract other bidders if he does become available.
The transfer announced by Al Ahli underscores that competitiveness in managing squads, without which there’s no staying in league rule-book boundaries. Although Galeno has been tipped for the betterment of attacking business, letting one of the talent like Firmino sit has testified to what choices clubs need to make while matching talent to the roster limits at their disposal.
This being a strategic move, only time can tell its effect on Al Ahli’s domestic campaign and the professional trajectory of Firmino. The footballing world will undoubtedly be watching with great interest to see whether Firmino will stay at Al Ahli beyond the current season or a transfer materializes in the upcoming transfer window.
