Al-Ittihad Club has resumed negotiations with Russian club Zenit to secure the services of Brazilian player Pedro Henrique after halting talks with Portuguese club Sporting Braga, despite the latter giving its approval for the transfer of young star Roger Fernandes.

The reigning champions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup and the Saudi Roshn League aim to strengthen their squad ahead of the AFC Champions League by finalizing one of the two deals before the Saudi transfer window closes on September 10. The Al-Ittihad management is weighing between the players. Fernandes played 48 matches last season for Sporting Lisbon, scoring five goals and providing four assists. He was also part of Portugal’s under-21 squad at the European Championship last summer.

Trusted French journalist Santi Ona revealed that Al-Ittihad submitted an official offer to Russian club Zenit to sign left winger Pedro Henrique for 35 million euros. Ona explained that Al-Ittihad reached a verbal agreement with Zenit regarding the Brazilian winger’s transfer, as well as a similar agreement with the player himself. Pedro has shown a clear desire to move immediately to Al-Ittihad, which is pushing him to pressure Zenit’s management to complete the deal during the summer transfer window.

This move is part of Al-Ittihad’s efforts to strengthen its attacking side, as French coach Laurent Blanc seeks to build a team capable of strong competition in various tournaments.

If the deal is completed, the player born in 2006 will join Al-Ittihad as a homegrown player, providing the club with a young addition to its roster.