Inzaghi’s future sparks controversy… and Al Hilal set to sign famous Portuguese coach

Media reports have revealed Saudi club Al Hilal’s interest in signing the Portuguese coach in anticipation of a change in the head of the technical staff in the near future.

The moves come in light of the uncertainty surrounding the future of Italian manager Simone Inzaghi, with Al-Zaim still likely to leave the ranks in the current summer transfer window, prompting the club’s management to explore a number of training options and prepare possible alternatives in anticipation of sudden developments.

According to the reliable English journalist Ben Jacobs, through his report on the platform;X:Al Hilal are interested in signing Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira, the current manager of England’s Nottingham Forest, with the Saudi club ready to make a big financial offer to convince him to take the job.

Jacobs added that the possibility of Simone Inzaghi leaving this summer is still possible, explaining that Al Hilal management have already contacted a number of other coaching names in anticipation of any technical changes in the coming period.

He noted that Pereira, who previously worked in the Saudi Arabian league coaching Al-Ahly and Al-Shabab, had begun preparing for the new season with Nottingham Forest while he held talks with the English club’s management over a contract extension after receiving a formal offer to stay.

Inzaghi took over the technical leadership of Al Hilal last summer and managed to achieve outstanding results with the team, the most notable of which was reaching the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup after a historic victory over Manchester City (4-3).

The Italian coach also led Al-Hilal to win the Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup for the 2025-2026 season after defeating Al-Khulood 2-1 in the last match at Al-Enmaa Stadium in Jeddah.

At league level, Al Hilal finished the Roshan Saudi Professional League season in second place with 84 points, just two points behind title winners Al Nasr.