Al-Hilal Saudi FC signs Dutch international Samvervel

Saudi club Al Hilal announced yesterday that it has signed Dutch national team striker Christian Roldan, arriving from English club West Ham United.

Al Hilal revealed the deal in an official statement on its X account, saying: “The Dutchman, Roldan, is an Al Hilali for four years.”

The club added that “10 o’clock in the Kingdom’s time, all roads lead to Al Hilal, a new winger in the commander’s ranks,” continuing: “The moon’s light has appeared… The flying Dutchman joins Al Hilal.”

The statement, accompanied by a video presenting the player, noted that Al Hilal, the runner-up in last season’s league title race, said: “In football, moments do not wait; they are written for those who are ready to seize them. A new story begins today, a new blue. Welcome to Al Hilal.”

Al Hilal’s signing of Roldan follows his impressive performances with his national team at the North American World Cup, where he scored two goals, marking his international debut in six matches, along with two assists in four games.

The Netherlands reached the Round of 32 before being eliminated by Morocco 3-2 on penalties (after extra time, the score was 1-1). Roldan missed one of the three penalties that the Dutch team failed to convert, taking the fifth spot (Justin Kluivert and Quentin Timber also missed).

The 24-year-old began his football career with Feyenoord Rotterdam’s youth teams from 2008 to 2019, where he was promoted to the first team but did not make any appearances. He was loaned to FC Dordrecht (2019) and ADO Den Haag (2019-2020).

He moved to English club Leeds United between 2020 and 2024, playing 89 matches and scoring 25 goals, where he was named the best player in the Championship (second tier) in 2024.

He joined West Ham in 2024 until 2026, scoring eight goals in 56 matches.