Manchester United and Arsenal reportedly made contact with Al-Hilal this summer over a potential move for striker Mohamed Kader Meite, according to TEAMtalk.
The 18-year-old forward stands at 6ft 4in tall and is considered a high-potential talent with a bright long-term future ahead of him.
Meite began his youth career at CA Paris 14 before spending time with Paris Alesia FC, US Villejuif, and Montrouge FC 92 as a youngster.
He joined Stade Rennais’ youth system at the age of 14 and went on to make his senior first-team debut a couple of years later.
Although Meite was used as a rotational option during the first half of last campaign, he managed five goal contributions in just six Ligue 1 starts.
Al-Hilal were sufficiently impressed to purchase him during the winter window, though he has continued to play a rotational role under manager Simone Inzaghi.
TEAMtalk report that Man Utd had originally been interested in signing Meite from Rennes before he surprisingly opted to move to Saudi Arabia instead.
Having already started thinking about returning to Europe, intermediaries close to the player worked to find a suitable destination for him this summer.
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur were all offered the chance to sign him, but Al-Hilal refused to sanction his departure.
Despite failing to land him previously, Man Utd maintained contact over a deal during the recently concluded summer transfer window, per the report.
Meite’s contract with Al-Hilal runs until 2029, meaning the Saudi club are under no pressure to sell, with Transfermarkt valuing him at around £15m.
Man Utd currently have Benjamin Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee as specialist striker options, though manager Michael Carrick has shown a preference for deploying Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the No.9 role.
Arsenal, meanwhile, allowed Gabriel Jesus to join Barcelona on deadline day and now rely on Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres as their main striker options.
Given his size, age, and obvious upside, Meite could have represented a smart long-term acquisition for either club had a deal been completed this window.