Nuno Espírito Santo will face fierce competition from his countrymen next season as his Al-Ittihad side look to defend their Saudi Arabian Pro League title.

Luís Castro was finally confirmed as new boss of Al Nassr on a two-year contract on Thursday, less than a week after leaving Brazilian league leaders Botafogo. The pair are joined in the battle for the Pro League by Jorge Jesus, who took charge of Al-Hilal for a second time at the start of the month.

Sporting have sold forward Tiago Tomás to VFL Wolfsburg for a fee of €9m plus €1.5m in add-ons, with the 21-year-old signing a five-year contract at the Bundesliga club.

Tomás spent last season on-loan with VFB Stuttgart, where he helped them avoid relegation, but financial restraints prevented a permanent move and Wolfsburg have swooped in to make his stay in German football a long-term one.

Portuguese winger Jota has left Celtic to sign for Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad on a three-year contract, the club confirmed on Monday evening.

Al-Ittihad have reportedly paid Celtic a fee of close to €30m to sign the former Benfica man, who became one of the Hoops’ star players during his two-year spell in Glasgow.

Luís Castro is doing exceptional things at the helm of Brazilian outfit Botafogo in 2023, but the Portuguese could be set to quit the high-flying Rio de Janeiro club amid growing interest from Saudi Arabia.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr have targeted Castro as the man to fill their vacant managerial position and despite Botafogo moving a remarkable seven points clear at the top of Brasileirão this weekend, there is a sense that the offer could be too good to refuse.