Roger Ibanez has completed his move to Al-Ahli following his successful spell at Serie A side AS Roma.
The Brazilian defender has signed a four-year deal with the Saudi side in what is a significant coup for the team looking to win the Pro League title this year.
The Brazilian defender has been linked with a whole host of Premier League sides but decided a move to the Middle East was the best thing for his career.
The fee is reportedly around £25 million according to Fabrizio Romano and the defender could well represent a superb addition to the side.
Ibanez was an important player for Jose Mourinho at the Italian side and the Brazilian seemingly has an interesting relationship with the Portuguese manager.
“It is fantastic to experience him day after day. I think he is a bipolar coach, in that one day he laughs and jokes with you, then the next you can’t even speak to him,” he told GOAL.
What will Ibanez offer?
The Brazilian defender is a throwback to the old-school defender. The 24-year-old played alongside former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling and is a superb box defender.
The defender excels in tackles and interceptions in particular, this could hint at his superb reading of the game and his leadership qualities at the heart of the Roma defence.
The defender has also scored three goals in the Italian league in back-to-back seasons, so he may well be a threat from set-pieces and with Riyad Mahrez in the team, the pair could form an interesting partnership from set-pieces.
For the Saudi side to add more quality to their defence to add to the huge quality they already have in attack makes this signing an incredibly smart one and one that could be crucial going into the new Pro League season.