Al-Ittihad Club is making steady progress in the race to sign one of Al-Hilal's strikers, surpassing Al-Ahli and Neom in the ongoing winter transfer window.

Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper confirmed that Al-Ittihad is close to signing Abdullah Radif, the Al-Hilal striker, on a contract lasting four seasons, taking advantage of the fact that he has entered the free period of his current contract.

The newspaper explained that Abdullah Radif is attracting interest from several clubs, including Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, and NEOM, in addition to an offer from Al-Hilal to renew the player's contract during the recent period.

Al-Ittihad is considered the closest party to finalizing the deal, based on a direct recommendation from the Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição, who emphasized the necessity of signing the player to strengthen the forward line.

Al-Ittihad's management is seeking to purchase the remaining period of Abdullah Radif's contract with Al-Hilal during the winter transfer window, noting that his current contract expires at the end of the next season.

Al-Ittihad's move to sign Radif came as striker Saleh Al-Shehri was nearing a loan departure during the current winter transfer window.

Conceição called for the necessity of having a ready local substitute to compensate for Al-Shahri's absence, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the team's offensive balance until the end of the current season.