Nawaf Al-Aqidi’s Al Nassr future ends after squad-planning dispute

Nawaf Al-Aqidi’s future at Al Nassr appears to be over after a condition he set during contract renewal negotiations led to a breakdown in talks, according to reports in Saudi Arabia.

The 26-year-old goalkeeper reportedly asked Al Nassr not to sign another foreign goalkeeper while he remained at the club. That demand was described by Saudi journalist Abdullah Al-Marzouq as an intervention in the club’s administrative and sporting planning, and it ultimately contributed to the decision to move him on.

Al Nassr have agreed to sell Al-Aqidi to Al Fateh during the current summer transfer window, reports say. Negotiations over extending his contract had stalled before the proposed transfer emerged.

The two clubs are now discussing the financial details of the deal. As part of the negotiations, Al Nassr are also seeking to sign Al Fateh goalkeeper Abdelhadi Al-Alwan and right-back Saeed Baatiyah.

Al-Aqidi came through Al Nassr’s academy and was promoted to the first team in 2019. However, he was unable to establish himself as the club’s regular first-choice goalkeeper and spent time away from the side on loan.

He joined Al-Tai on loan in 2022 before moving to Al Fateh on another temporary deal in 2025. Despite beginning last season as Al Nassr’s first-choice goalkeeper, he lost his place after a series of mistakes midway through the campaign.

Those errors were particularly costly in matches against Al Qadsiah and Al Hilal in the Roshn Saudi League. He subsequently returned to the substitutes’ bench as the club changed its goalkeeping arrangements.

Al-Aqidi also lost his place as Saudi Arabia’s first-choice goalkeeper after making mistakes in a friendly against Egypt in March. Veteran goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais was then selected to represent the national team at the 2026 World Cup instead.

The latest development brings an end to Al-Aqidi’s increasingly uncertain position at the club where he began his professional career. His proposed move to Al Fateh would make the transfer permanent after his previous loan spell there in 2025, while Al Nassr continue discussions over both the fee and the players who could move in the opposite direction.