Roger Ibañez to Aston Villa from Al-Ahli
Roger Ibañez · Incoming transfer · Al-Ahli
Verdict Delivered
This rumor DIED. It was dropped from the board after going quiet, last rated 1%.
State of play
| Move | Al-Ahli → Villa |
| Outcome | Never happened |
| Rated at the end | 1% |
| Resolved | August 12th |
Villa's approach for the Brazil centre-back ended with the player choosing to stay in Saudi Arabia. Sacha Tavolieri reported on August 9th that Ibañez had rejected an offer from Villa and reiterated his wish to remain at Al-Ahli, who had improved his salary in a fresh proposal to keep him. Al-Ahli confirmed that weekend that he had signed an extension in Jeddah running to the summer of 2030, ending negotiations that had been paused while he was at the World Cup with Brazil and resumed after his return. The 27-year-old had drawn interest from several European clubs before committing.
How the Story Moved
| Date | What changed | |
|---|---|---|
| August 5th | Tracked | Rumor opened on the board at 22% (contact) — source: Sacha Tavolieri (X), relayed by Inside Futbol. Villa have made repeated contact with Roger Ibañez's representatives, the Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri reported on August 5th, without lodging a concrete offer. The 27-year-old Brazil centre-back has responded by halting contract-extension talks at Al Ahli, where a year remains on his deal, and is weighing a return to Europe; Tavolieri has several other Premier League clubs in the running alongside Villa. Ibañez built his reputation at Roma before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023, and last season he played 4,191 minutes with eight goal involvements. Al Ahli want to keep him and could still come back with an improved renewal. One reporter carries this so far, and nothing beyond contact has been claimed. |
| August 10th | Moved | Likelihood fell from 22% to 1% (off). Ibañez has turned Villa down. Sacha Tavolieri reported on August 9th that the Brazil centre-back rejected an offer from Villa and reiterated that he wants to stay at Al Ahli, where the club have responded to the Premier League interest by improving the salary in a new proposal. That closes a pursuit that ran for a week: Tavolieri had reported on August 5th that Villa were in repeated contact with Ibañez's representatives and that he had paused extension talks in Jeddah with a year left on his deal. The 27-year-old built his reputation at Roma before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023, played 4,191 minutes last season with eight goal involvements, and was in Brazil's World Cup squad this summer. Tavolieri is the only reporter to have carried either end of this story. |
| August 12th | Verdict | Rumor died — dropped from the board at 1% |
| August 12th | Tracked | Rumor opened on the board at 1% (off) — source: Sacha Tavolieri (X), relayed by Read Aston Villa. Villa's move for the Brazil centre-back is over. Sacha Tavolieri reported on August 10th that Ibañez had turned Villa down and restated his wish to stay at Al-Ahli, who improved his salary in a fresh proposal and have since tied him to a deal reported to run to 2030. Tavolieri had reported five days earlier that the 27-year-old paused those extension talks as Premier League interest built, and that Villa made repeated contact with his representatives without a formal offer ever following. Ibañez joined Al-Ahli from Roma in 2023 and has been a fixture in their back line since, and he would have given Unai Emery a right-sided centre-back with Ezri Konsa's future unresolved. Only one reporter has carried the Villa side of this from start to finish. |
| August 12th | Verdict | Rumor died — dropped from the board at 1% |
| August 12th | Tracked | Rumor opened on the board at 1% (off) — source: Sacha Tavolieri (X); Al-Ahli (club announcement), relayed by Read Aston Villa. Villa's approach for the Brazil centre-back ended with the player choosing to stay in Saudi Arabia. Sacha Tavolieri reported on August 9th that Ibañez had rejected an offer from Villa and reiterated his wish to remain at Al-Ahli, who had improved his salary in a fresh proposal to keep him. Al-Ahli confirmed that weekend that he had signed an extension in Jeddah running to the summer of 2030, ending negotiations that had been paused while he was at the World Cup with Brazil and resumed after his return. The 27-year-old had drawn interest from several European clubs before committing. |
| August 12th | Verdict | Rumor died — dropped from the board at 1% |
Timeline since the rumor joined the board.