Saudi Pro League (SPL) club Al-Hilal have reportedly reached an agreement with Sevilla over the transfer of two-time Europa League-winning goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (Bono).
Al-Hilal negotiating personal terms with Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Saudi Arabia is close to prizing away another top soccer player from Europe this summer. The country’s most successful club, Al-Hilal, have reportedly reached an agreement with La Liga side Sevilla over the transfer of Bono, with the Saudis agreeing to pay up to €21 million ($22.95 million) for the goalkeeper.
Taking to social networking site X, Romano wrote:
“Al Hilal have reached an agreement with Sevilla to sign Yassine Bono on €19m fixed fee plus add-ons up to €21m package.
“Personal terms being discussed on three year deal as final green light expected after tonight. Bono, focused on SuperCup then time to agree.”
Al Hilal have reached an agreement with Sevilla to sign Yassine Bono on €19m fixed fee plus add-ons up to €21m package 🚨🔵🇸🇦 #AlHilal
Personal terms being discussed on three year deal as final green light expected after tonight.
Bono, focused on SuperCup then time to agree. pic.twitter.com/2WkY0rjlCB
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 16, 2023
Moroccan shot-stopper Bono has been at Sevilla since July 2020. The 32-year-old, who has nearly two years remaining on his contract (June 2025), has played 141 matches for the Andalusian club, keeping 58 clean sheets. The UEFA Super Cup clash against Champions League holders Manchester City on Wednesday night (August 16) could be his final match for the La Liga side.
Al-Hilal have the highest-spending Saudi Arabian team this summer
Having lost the league title race to Al-Ittihad last season, 18-time Saudi champions Al-Hilal are seemingly determined to return with a bang. They reportedly tabled offers for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ace Kylian Mbappe and Argentina icon Lionel Messi this summer before finally getting their hands on Neymar. According to Romano, Al-Hilal have paid PSG just under $109.29 million for the 31-year-old’s services.
Prior to getting Neymar on their books, Al-Hilal signed Malcom, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Ruben Neves, spending a whopping $194.53 million on these four players.
If they also manage to add Bono to their roster, they would undoubtedly have one of the best teams in the country. With the likes of Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, and Al-Ettifaq also signing many top European stars in the summer, it will be interesting to see if Al-Hilal manage to find their way to the Saudi top-flight title this time around.
