Financial uncertainty at Al Nassr: wage reports and a modest budget hamper the champions' preparations
Al Nassr began preparations for the 2026/27 season in an atmosphere significantly different from the celebrations with which it ended the previous championship campaign. The Riyadh club won the Saudi league title in May, but by mid-July it was facing media reports of a shortage of available funds, partially unpaid June wages and slowed plans for the summer transfer window. According to information circulating in Saudi sports media, some first-team players have reportedly still not received their full salaries for June, while the management is waiting for a clearer picture of the budget for the new season. As of July 14, 2026, Al Nassr had not publicly released an official financial report confirming the scale of the problem, nor had it commented in detail on the alleged delays in payments to players. It is therefore important to distinguish confirmed sporting decisions, such as Marcelo Brozović's departure, from claims about wages that currently remain at the level of media reports.
The situation is particularly sensitive because this is not a club merely trying to catch up with its rivals, but the reigning champion with an exceptionally expensive and internationally recognizable squad. Official Saudi Pro League data show that Al Nassr finished the 2025/26 season in first place with 86 points, two more than Al Hilal, and secured the title with a 4:1 victory over Damac in the final round. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in the decisive match, thereby winning his first Saudi league title since arriving in Riyadh. Precisely because of that result, the club was expected to enter the summer from a position of strength and strengthen the squad for its title defense and continental challenges. Instead, available reports point to a cautious transfer policy and a need to stabilize financial obligations first.
Reports about June wages remain without official confirmation
The most serious part of the story concerns the claim that certain first-team players did not receive their full salaries for June. If confirmed, such information would represent more than a short-term administrative problem, because the regular settlement of contractual obligations directly affects the confidence of players, agents and potential signings. However, as of July 14, no detailed official confirmation had been published by the club, the league or another competent institution regarding how many players were affected, how much of the amount was missing and when any outstanding balance was expected to be paid. It is therefore impossible to conclude reliably whether this is a temporary cash-flow delay, a matter of the payment schedule or a deeper shortage of funds. In professional football, that distinction is important because a brief technical delay does not have the same consequences as a prolonged inability to honor contracts.
The broader context nevertheless shows that the financial tension did not arise overnight. Goal's Arabic edition reported in early July that Al Nassr was operating with a very limited budget during the summer transfer window and that, even during the previous season, the club had felt the effects of reduced available financing and the structure of support within Saudi professional football. The same source stated that the management wanted to retain the core of the team that won the championship, but that the number and profile of new players would have to be adjusted to the available funds. The Saudi newspaper Al Weeam also reported that Al Nassr was awaiting final confirmation of the budget for the new season before defining its transfers precisely. Those reports do not in themselves confirm a delay in June wage payments, but they support the conclusion that the room for new investment is considerably narrower than might be expected from the reigning champion.
Additional pressure is being created by obligations undertaken earlier. In June, 365Scores, citing sources from the newspaper Al Riyadiah, reported that Al Nassr had to settle approximately 25 million euros in remaining obligations to Chelsea and Bayern during the summer, connected with the transfers of João Félix and Kingsley Coman. That amount has not been officially confirmed in publicly available club documents, but it demonstrates why a high revenue and wage capacity does not automatically mean that a club has unrestricted cash available for new deals at all times. At the same time, Al Nassr finances one of the most expensive squads outside Europe, while Capology's external estimates for the 2025/26 season place the gross fixed wage bill above 360 million euros, excluding bonuses. Capology explicitly notes that these are estimates rather than official figures, so they should be viewed as an indicator of the scale of the obligations, not as confirmed club accounting.
Marcelo Brozović's departure has left a gap at the heart of the team
While the financial details remain insufficiently clarified, Marcelo Brozović's departure is no longer a matter of speculation. Al Nassr ended its cooperation with the Croatian midfielder at the beginning of July following the expiration of his three-year contract, while media outlets covering the club state that the decision was made with the approval of the sporting and executive structures and the new coach. Brozović arrived in Riyadh from Inter in the summer of 2023 and became a central figure in the organization of play over three seasons. Goal states that he made 124 appearances for Al Nassr, scoring eight goals and registering 23 assists. His contribution was not limited to final statistics, because he often took responsibility for the first phase of build-up play, dictated the tempo of possession and helped the defense control the space in front of the center-backs.
For that reason, the search for his replacement is not an ordinary addition to the squad, but one of the key sporting tasks of the summer. Al Nassr need a player who can receive the ball under pressure, switch the point of attack, control the tempo and simultaneously provide balance behind a highly attacking line. Such a profile is usually expensive on the international market, especially when the selling club knows that the buyer is seeking a direct replacement for a regular first-team player. Before Brozović's official departure, various names were mentioned, including Barcelona's Marc Casadó, but there was no announcement that negotiations had reached their final stage. According to the original Saudi reports on which this story is based, the search has now slowed down or been temporarily suspended until funding is secured, although other reports continue to describe a replacement for Brozović as the first transfer priority.
This seemingly contradictory picture probably arises from the difference between a sporting desire and a financial possibility. The management and coaching staff may consider a new defensive or central midfielder essential, but without a confirmed budget they cannot complete a deal involving a transfer fee, signing bonus, commission and multi-year salary. In such circumstances, the club can continue monitoring players and maintaining contacts without simultaneously submitting binding offers. Every week of waiting reduces the time available for a new player to adapt to his teammates and the coach's demands. For a team defending the title, that risk is greater than for a club entering a long-term rebuilding process.
Postecoglou has taken charge of the champions, but also inherited a sensitive legacy
New coach Ange Postecoglou arrived in Riyadh as the successor to Jorge Jesus, who left the club after winning the title. The Saudi Pro League announced that the Australian coach had signed a two-year contract and taken charge of the team during preparations for the new season. In his first interview for the club's channels, he said that he wanted to take Al Nassr to a new level, which implies continuing the fight for domestic trophies and making progress in Asian competitions. His football traditionally relies on high intensity, aggressive pressing, bold build-up play and a large number of players positioned ahead of the ball. Precisely for that reason, a reliable and tactically disciplined midfielder could be crucial to the functioning of the system.
Postecoglou inherited a team with great individual quality. Alongside Ronaldo, João Félix, Kingsley Coman, Mohamed Simakan, Iñigo Martínez and goalkeeper Bento played important roles in winning the title, while the league's official analysis particularly highlighted that Félix finished the season with 20 goals and 13 assists. According to the same source, Coman was involved in 21 league goals, while the defense recorded 17 clean sheets. Such a core gives the coach enough quality to build a competitive team even without a series of expensive reinforcements. The problem is that the departure of one player in a strategically important position can alter the balance of the entire system, especially if there is no natural replacement with comparable experience.
The preparation plan further emphasizes how important time is. According to Goal's report, which cites Al Riyadiah, the first phase of preparations began on July 5 in Riyadh and was supposed to last ten days, followed by work in Abha and a final training camp in Portugal. International players are joining after their commitments at the 2026 World Cup, so the coaching staff will in any case have a limited number of joint training sessions with the full group. Several friendly matches against foreign opponents are also planned, but the opposition had not been finally confirmed at the time of publication. If Brozović's replacement arrives late, the new midfielder will miss part of the tactically most important period of preparations.
Transfer plan reduced to priority positions
Available reports show that Al Nassr do not plan to completely freeze their market activity, but rather to limit it to several precisely selected moves. Goal and Al Weeam report a plan to sign three foreign players: a direct replacement for Brozović and two younger footballers, a forward and a defender, who would fit the rules concerning players in a younger age category. Such a strategy suits a club that wants to preserve its starting lineup while refreshing the depth of the squad without a series of expensive contracts for established stars. However, even that more modest plan depends on the final allocation of funds and the possibility of easing existing obligations. Saudi media therefore emphasize that the management must simultaneously conduct sporting negotiations and financially manage inherited contracts.
The goalkeeping situation is also uncertain. According to 365Scores, as relayed in Goal's report, the futures of Bento and Nawaf Al Aqidi are expected to be assessed during preparations in Portugal. The decision about who will be the first-choice goalkeeper and whether one of them should leave the club may have financial consequences, but could also open up space in the registration of foreign players. Such decisions are often connected with transfers in other positions because the number of places available to foreign footballers is not unlimited. Postecoglou is therefore assessing not only individual quality, but also how each decision affects the overall structure of the player list.
At this moment, the most realistic scenario is not the collapse of the star-studded team, but a summer with fewer reinforcements and longer negotiations than supporters expected after winning the title. Al Nassr still have Ronaldo and a number of players capable of deciding a match, but defending the championship will require more than relying on individual quality. Al Hilal, Al Ahli and other ambitious clubs will continue strengthening their squads, while the champions must find a balance between sustainability and pressure for results. If the reports about the unpaid portion of June wages are resolved quickly and the budget is confirmed, the current concern may remain a brief episode. If the financial restrictions persist, the absence of a replacement for Brozović could become the first visible sporting symptom of a broader problem.
The following official decisions will be crucial for a public assessment of the actual situation: the settlement of all due obligations, the announcement of the first transfers and any confirmation from the club regarding the available budget. Until then, the claim that Al Nassr do not have enough money should be treated as a media report supported by accounts of extremely limited transfer room, rather than as fully documented insolvency. The club won the league only a few weeks earlier and its sporting value remains considerable, but high revenues, expensive contracts and unrestricted liquidity are not the same thing. The management's ability to align those three levels will determine whether Postecoglou receives a team ready to defend the title or whether the champions enter the new season with an unresolved gap in midfield.
Sources:
- Goal Arabia – report on Al Nassr's limited budget, transfer priorities and preparation plan (link)
- Goal Arabia – confirmation of Marcelo Brozović's departure and an overview of his performance at the club (link)
- Saudi Pro League – official report on winning the 2025/26 season title and the final standings (link)
- Saudi Pro League – Ange Postecoglou's first interview after taking charge of Al Nassr and confirmation of his two-year contract (link)
- Saudi Pro League – analysis of the key players and statistical indicators from the championship-winning season (link)
- Al Weeam – report on the plan for three summer signings and the wait for final budget confirmation (link)
- 365Scores – report on approximately 25 million euros in remaining transfer obligations to Chelsea and Bayern (link)
- Capology – estimate of Al Nassr's gross fixed wage bill for the 2025/26 season, with a note that the data are not official (link)