Al-Hilal have suffered a huge blow in their race for Spanish defender Sergio Ramos as it has emerged that he is set to join Sevilla.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Al Hilal had offered Ramos a contract worth €30m a year, which would have made him one of the highest-paid players in world football, but he has seemingly turned down that offer.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the defender will return to former side Sevilla.
Ramos recently announced his retirement from playing for Spain, but he looks set to continue his club career for at least one more season in La Liga.
The defender struggled for game time under Mauricio Pochettino but played more under former OGC Nice boss Christophe Galtier.
It is clear that Ramos is coming towards the later stages of his glittering career, which has seen him win 26 major trophies across a span of almost 20 years.
Turns down Saudi offer
The defender was offered an obscene amount of money to make the move to the Saudi side, where he could have lined up alongside former Paris Saint Germain teammate Neymar.
Instead, the iconic defender will line up for one more season in La Liga for Sevilla.
Ramos decided not to renew his contract with the French side, although that decision may well have been made by the new boss of the Parisian side, Luis Enrique.
A return to the club where he made his debut was the priority for Ramos from the outset, but a difficult relationship with the club’s fans during his many years at Real Madrid made the Andalusian outfit reluctant to pursue their former player.
But those issues have seemingly been resolved and the deal to take the defender to Spain is at the ‘here we go’ stage.