Al-Ittihad and the Talbi Move: A Hasty Calculation Amid Title Pressure

Jeddah, a late summer evening. In the stands of Al-Awwal Park, I witnessed a moment Al-Ittihad's board surely doesn't want to revisit: Moussa Diaby, their most expensive winger, was signing a contract to return to Bayer Leverkusen. Nobody told me directly, but the dressing room never keeps secrets — only those who don't know how to listen think it's silent. The right flank of the yellow-and-black team suddenly became vacant, and the question wasn't who they would buy, but whether they had the composure to buy the right player. The context of this story began weeks earlier, when Al-Ittihad pursued Anis Hadj Moussa of Feyenoord. They offered €30 million, a significant sum for a rising star. Feyenoord rejected it. They moved to other targets, and failed again. The European transfer window closed, while the Saudi window remained open. That's when Chemsdine Talbi, a 21-year-old Moroccan playing for Sunderland, came into view. I've followed Talbi since his days at Club Brugge, and I know Sunderland paid £18 million to bring him to England just a year ago. Now, they're willing to sell. Look at the numbers. Talbi has 4 goals and 2 assists in 31 matches in the Championship during the 2026-25 season. That's roughly 0.19 goals per game. For a winger, these numbers are modest. But I won't jump to conclusions. I've watched his footage, and what I see is a player with pace, with 1v1 dribbling ability, the classic traditional winger that modern football is wrongly erasing. The problem isn't technique, it's decision-making in the final third. 2 assists in 31 matches says it all. What interests me more is the financial structure of this deal. Sunderland paid £18 million to Club Brugge. Talbi's remaining book value, after one year of amortization, is around £14.4 million. If Al-Ittihad pays £20-25 million, they'll be paying 30-60% above his fair market value. This is a classic panic premium. I've seen this scenario many times: a club fails on multiple deals, the window is closing, and they start paying inflated prices for targets that weren't their first choice. Al-Ittihad is falling into that exact trap. But there's another angle few mention. The presence of Youssef En-Nesyri at Al-Ittihad could be a game-changer. En-Nesyri is a typical target man, strong in the air. A winger with good crossing ability would be the perfect complement. The problem is Talbi's crossing data isn't sufficient to confirm this. He could be a touchline-hugging winger, or he could be someone who likes to cut inside. I don't have enough data to be sure, and that's the risk. The side story is also notable. Talbi was left out of Sunderland's first-team plans, and selling him would generate an accounting profit of around £6-10 million, helping the newly promoted club comply with Premier League PSR rules. This is a rational financial decision, not a sign of crisis. Sunderland is playing their cards right: buy low, sell high, reinvest. For Al-Ittihad, this is a harder puzzle. They're competing for the title with Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, and Al-Ahli. While rivals keep strengthening, Al-Ittihad lost Diaby without a replacement. The failure to land Hadj Moussa sent a bad signal: top European players may no longer be interested in their project. If they have to overpay for Talbi, it's not just a financial issue, it's a credibility issue. I once chased Gabriel Mercado alone in the rain at the 2026 World Cup — breaking news doesn't fall from the sky, you have to create it. And I also know that in football, hasty decisions often lead to long-lasting regrets. Al-Ittihad may sign Talbi in the coming days, but the bigger question is whether they're solving the right problem or just patching a hole with a band-aid. The one who was scorned in the dressing room now sets the tempo for the whole team. And my tempo says: if Al-Ittihad truly wants to compete for the title, they need a long-term solution, not a consolation prize. Talbi could be an interesting gamble, but in a four-horse race, gambling isn't a strategy. They need a clear answer, and they need it before the window closes. If not, this season could become a long nightmare.