Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli target France World Cup star Manu Kone in major midfield shake-up

Al Ahli are lining up a move for France World Cup midfielder Manu Kone as a replacement for compatriot Enzo Millot – but any deal hinges on the Saudi Pro League club offloading the out-of-favour playmaker first.

The Jeddah side, backed by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, have identified Kone, 25, as their leading candidate to refresh the team’s midfield options after a turbulent season for Millot, who arrived last summer from Stuttgart.

Millot pushed towards exit as Al Ahli plan overhaul

Portuguese sporting director Rui Pedro has already decided that Millot does not feature in his plans for next season, according to local reports, and has instructed club scouts to secure a new central midfielder.

Millot joined Al Ahli in the previous summer transfer window from Bundesliga club Stuttgart and made a bright start to life in Saudi Arabia. Over the course of the campaign he featured in 40 matches in all competitions, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists.

However, his performances dipped markedly in the latter stages of the season, prompting the club hierarchy to reassess his role. Despite his respectable numbers, Al Ahli now believe they need a different profile in midfield to compete domestically and in Asia.

The main obstacle to executing that plan is the lack of concrete offers for Millot. Al Ahli must free up both a foreign-player slot and part of their wage bill before they can register another high-profile overseas signing.

Kone emerges as primary target after World Cup displays

Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari has reported that Al Ahli’s first-choice target to succeed Millot is French midfielder Manu Kone, currently on the books at Roma.

Kone caught the eye at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, emerging as one of France’s standout performers in midfield despite modest attacking returns. He played in five matches for Les Bleus, starting four of them, though he did not score or register an assist.

His energetic, all-action style and ability to operate in both defensive and box-to-box roles have made him one of the most talked-about midfielders in Europe, and Al Ahli see him as an ideal anchor for a revamped engine room.

Securing his signature will be a considerable challenge. The player is understood to be attracting serious interest from several leading European sides, including Arsenal, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid, making a move to Saudi Arabia far from straightforward.

Idrissa Gueye also on Saudi club’s radar

In addition to Kone, Longari revealed via his official account on X that Al Ahli are also exploring a deal for Senegal international Idrissa Gueye, who is a free agent after leaving Everton at the end of last season when his contract expired.

Gueye, vastly experienced in the Premier League and with Paris St-Germain, would bring proven defensive midfield qualities and leadership, offering a different profile to Kone but fitting the club’s desire to strengthen the spine of the team.

Al Ahli’s interest in the pair underlines the scale of their intended midfield rebuild. Yet, as with Kone, any move for Gueye is dependent on the club first finding a solution for Millot’s future during the current summer transfer window.

For now, Al Ahli’s ambitious plans remain contingent on the market. Until they can move Millot on, their pursuit of Kone and Gueye – and their wider strategy to reshape the squad – will remain on hold.