Catalan newspaper "Sport" revealed that former Barcelona sporting director Mateo Alemany is nearing a return to the world of football through advanced negotiations with Al-Ahli Saudi Club to take up a significant administrative position.

According to the report, negotiations between the two parties have reached advanced stages for an official signing, effectively closing the door on any possibility of Alemany returning to Barcelona or transferring to one of the Spanish clubs, as had been rumored recently.

Alemany left Barcelona in September 2023 after a successful period alongside Jordi Cruyff, but some disagreements with Deco, the current sporting director, led the Catalan club's management to part ways with him.

The report indicated that Alemany was among the candidates for administrative positions at other clubs, such as Juventus, before Al-Ahli finalized its decision and placed him at the forefront of its new sports project as one of the most prominent sporting directors in the world of football.

This move comes amid the increasing trend of Saudi clubs to benefit from the expertise of administrators coming from Europe, such as Ramon Planes (Al-Ittihad director) and Estef Calzada (Al-Hilal director), who have achieved significant successes since taking on these positions.