Theo Hernandez to Stay in Saudi Arabia as Wage Gap Blocks Juventus and Napoli Move

Theo Hernandez’s return to Serie A remains a fantasy for another transfer window. The French left-back, who moved to Saudi Arabia last summer, is set to stay in the Gulf after Juventus and Napoli both ruled out a move due to his enormous wages.

According to a report from Corriere della Sera, relayed by Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, Hernandez earns around €20 million per season net at his Saudi club. That figure has made any negotiation with Italian clubs impossible, even though Juventus sporting director Frederic Massara remained interested in bringing the player back to Turin.

Por que importa

The Saudi contract
Hernandez left AC Milan in the summer of 2025 to join an unnamed Saudi Pro League side (widely reported as Al-Ittihad). The deal made him one of the highest-paid full-backs in world football. His current earnings, reported at €20m per season after tax, are roughly four times what Juventus pays its top earners. The financial gap is so large that no Italian club can realistically match it, even with a loan or a wage contribution from the Saudi side.

Juventus interest
Juventus, who have been looking for a left-back to strengthen Massimiliano Allegri’s squad, did explore the possibility. Massara, the club’s director of football, is said to appreciate Hernandez’s qualities and would have taken the opportunity if the economics allowed. However, the Bianconeri’s wage structure – capped at around €5-6m net for star players – makes a €20m package impossible. The report states that the operation never developed into concrete negotiations because the financial conditions were prohibitive from the start.

Contexto

Napoli’s position
Napoli were also linked with Hernandez earlier in the window, but the club’s recruitment team never considered him a priority. The Azzurri already have three left-sided defenders: Leonardo Spinazzola, Miguel Gutierrez and Mathías Olivera. With that depth, the Napoli board decided against making any further investment in that position. The report confirms that the club had no intention of spending heavily on a left-back this summer, even before factoring in Hernandez’s earnings.

Key facts

Context and implications
Hernandez’s situation reflects a broader trend in the transfer market: elite European players who move to Saudi Arabia often find it difficult to return because the wage gap is too large for European clubs to bridge. Even top Italian sides like Juventus operate under strict financial constraints, including UEFA’s Financial Fair Play and Italy’s Growth Decree changes.

For FootballGames10 readers, this story matters because it shows how the Saudi Pro League has altered the global transfer landscape. A player who was once a key figure for AC Milan and the French national team is now effectively priced out of a return to Europe’s top leagues. The only realistic way Hernandez could move back to Serie A would be if the Saudi club agreed to subsidise part of his wages – something that has not happened so far.

What remains unclear
The exact identity of Hernandez’s Saudi club has not been officially confirmed, though multiple reports point to Al-Ittihad. The length of his contract and any potential release clauses are also unknown. Without these details, it is impossible to say whether a return to Europe could happen in a future window.

The transfer window closes at the end of August, but with Hernandez expected to report back to his Saudi club in the coming days, the speculation is effectively over. Juventus will now focus on other targets, while Napoli are content with their existing options. Theo Hernandez’s future, for now, lies in the Middle East.

Source: TuttoMercatoWeb – https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/theo-hernandez-restera-arabia-saudita-alto-ingaggio-juventus-napoli-2258817