Arsenal, Man Utd keen on 6ft 4in Al-Hilal forward as Richard Hughes faces big decision

Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester United, made enquiries about striking starlet Mohamed Kader Meite before the transfer deadline, with their interest in the France Under-21s star still active, TEAMtalk understands.

The 18-year-old, who has been capped by France Under-21s and stands at a colossal 6ft 4in, has long been on the radar of clubs across the Premier League, and his potential has continued to attract significant attention since he departed from Rennes in January.

Meite had a host of offers on the table when he left Rennes at the start of the year, with several leading European clubs exploring the possibility of signing one of the most highly regarded young forwards in French football.

Manchester United were among those in the mix at the time, while Crystal Palace were also keen on the teenager.

However, Meite ultimately made the surprise decision to move to Saudi Arabia, joining Al-Hilal as the club persuaded him to continue his development in the Middle East, where he signed a three-and-a-half-year contract.

That decision did not end the European interest in his services, though, and TEAMtalk sources can confirm that United maintained contact over the striker, while several other Premier League clubs were alerted to his potential availability this summer.

Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were all made aware that Meite could potentially be available from Al-Hilal, with intermediaries working to establish whether a return to Europe could be possible for the teenager.

Interest was strong, but Al-Hilal were not keen sellers and pushed back against the possibility of allowing Meite to leave…

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Richard Hughes faces decision on Meite’s Al-Hilal future

The Saudi club remain convinced of the youngster’s potential and were, understandably, reluctant to sanction a move so soon after persuading him to leave Rennes for the Middle East.

TEAMtalk understands Meite himself was considering a return to Europe this summer, with intermediaries exploring potential opportunities after his move to Saudi Arabia.

However, Al-Hilal’s stance ultimately proved decisive, with the club unwilling to entertain approaches this summer, despite the level of Premier League interest.

Meite has nevertheless continued to make progress since arriving in Saudi Arabia and has been featuring in recent weeks under Simone Inzaghi.

His involvement with the first team has given Al-Hilal further evidence of his potential, but his long-term future remains something that will need to be assessed by the club.

That decision will become particularly significant with Richard Hughes set to take on a senior sporting role at Al-Hilal.

TEAMtalk understands Hughes will be tasked with assessing Meite’s long-term future and deciding whether the teenager is ultimately part of the club’s plans in Saudi Arabia or whether a route back to European football should be explored.

For now, Al-Hilal have retained control of the situation and resisted the approaches that arrived from England.

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