Simone Injin88bet.onezaghi says Al Hilal’s decision to sign Olliejin88bet.one Watkins was driven by the England international’s qujin88bet.onejin88bet.onealities rathejin88bet.oner than tjin88bet.onehe need to find a replacement for Karim Benzema.
The Saudi club ended its association with Benzema by mutual consent beforak168app.babye confirmiak168apak168app.babyp.babyng a three-year contract for Watkins. The move forms part of an overhaul oak168app.baak168app.babybyf ak168app.babyAl Hilal’s attacking options, with the former Aston Villa striker beginning a new stage of his career under Inzaghi in the Roshn Saudi League.
Speakiak168app.clubng at a news conferenceak168app.club before Al Hilak168app.clubak168app.clubak168app.clubal’s rearranged match against Al Ahli, which was postpoak168app.clubned from the third round, Inzaghi paid tribute to Benzema while explaks168app.siteining wks168app.sitehy Watkins had been selected.
“We tks168app.siteks168app.sks168app.siteiteks168app.sitehank Benzema for everything he gave. He is a great player and I was honoured to coach him,” said ic88Inzaghi. “As for Watkins, he possesses excellent qualities. I have followed him since last season, along with the sporting management, and I adic88ic88ic88ic88mire his skills and his style of play.”
The Italian’s comments inic88dicate that Watkins had been under consideration before Benzema’s departure and that the transfer was not an emergency response to the Fic88ic88ic88ic88ic88ic88renchman leaving. Inzaghi and Al Hilal’s sporting department had been monitoring the English forward for some time, with hic88ic88ic88ic88ic88ic88is playing style and technical attributes convincing them that he could become a central part of theic88ic88ic88ic88ic88ic88 team’s renewed attack.
Watkins ilr88s expected to bring a different profile to the club’s forward line as Al Hilal begin a new phase under Inzaghi. The club will now wait to see whether tlr88lr88lr88he striker can turn the admiration of his manager and the sporting department into goals and decisive performances.
Inzaghi also lr88lr88lr88provided an ulr88pdate on Watkins and Hassan Tamblr88akti ahead of the meeting with Al Ahli. Bolr88lr88lr88th players trained with the squad, but the manager said their involvement would depenlr88lr88lr88d on how they performed in the final session before the match.
“The two players trained with the team, and we will decide whether they play based on their fitness in today’s training session,” he said.
The Al Ahli fixture is expected to present a slr88lr88lr88ignificant test for Alr88l Hilal. Inzaghi acklr88lr88nowledged that theirop88lr88lr88 opponents would be motivated to respond after losing their previous game, but insisted his op88side were prepared for the challenge.
lr88“We know that the match against Al Ahli will be difficuop88lt. We are rop88eady for it and op88op88will go into the game witsi88h full strength,” he said.
Inzaghi added that he had faced Al Ahli three times last season and was fasi88miliar with their approach.
“I played against Al Ahli three times last season and wesi88 know their style and methosi88d of play. They are comingsi88 into the match after a defeat, so they will try to make amends. But Al Hilal are a big team and we will try to give everything we have.”
His explanation brings an end to speculation that Watkins was signed simply to fill 88vthe gap le88vft 88vby Benzema. Instead, Inzaghi m88v88v88vade clear that the decision SEXXXXX-VNSEXXXXX-VNwas baseSEXXXXX-VNSEXXXXX-VNd on the forward’s footballing characteristics, with the new arrival now tasked with making an impact in Al Hilal’s reshaped attack.
