Is it possible to jam together a side capable of going toe-to-toe with the best that Europe has to offer in the small window between the end of domestic league seasons and the start of the Club World Cup? Al-Hilal have been attempting to find out exactly that in recent weeks. The answer so far: no, not really.

The Club World Cup might be exciting the accountants at top clubs and few else in Europe, but in Saudi Arabia the competition has long taken on outside importance. Decision makers at PIF, the sovereign wealth fund that owns four of the Pro League’s leading clubs, view global football as an avenue to establish Saudi soft power around the world. What could be more effective at that than upsetting a Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City and making a deep run in what could be the biggest soccer tournament open to Asian clubs?

That was the logic that saw Al-Ittihad furnished with Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, but not quite Mohamed Salah when Saudi Arabia hosted the competition in 2023. Such ambition has only grown for Al-Hilal, not only the most successful club in Asia, but viewed by some as the golden boy of PIF. Real Madrid, Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg lie ahead of them next week, there was to be ambitious investment prior to the first closure of the transfer window — implemented by FIFA to aid those playing in the Club World Cup — at 2p.m. ET on Tuesday.

According to CBS Sports sources, Al-Hilal’s priority was to strengthen their side on four fronts: striker, central midfield, left back and a head coach to lead them. As of Monday, it would be a success if three of those were to be addressed with the Riyadh side having only secured their first choice in one spot. Simone Inzaghi has arrived as the most expensive coach in the world but the marquee additions on the field are yet to follow.

It is at striker that the most dramatic decisions have been made. There had initially been hope within PIF that, as part of negotiations to extend his contract, Cristiano Ronaldo could be convinced to join Al-Hilal on loan for the Club World Cup. FIFA president Gianni Infantino was also pushing the idea of Ronaldo moving for the tournament but talks with Saudi government officials saw the Portuguese forward express skepticism over a temporary move from Al-Nassr’s rivals, instead pushing for his squad to be strengthened.

Victor Osimhen is next on Al-Hilal’s wishlist and CBS Sports understands that the four time Asian champions have refused to concede defeat in their pursuit of the Nigeria striker, who could be offered an increase on the $35 million annual salary that has initially been proposed to him. Sources say that should Al-Hilal have to be abandon their pursuit of Osimhen then Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig is next on their list. Whether he would be tempted to move to the Pro League at the start of his career is not clear, but Al-Hilal have the finances to match RB Leipzig’s demands and pay Sesko handsomely.

A left back does at least appear to be on the horizon. Al-Hilal are closing in on a move for Roma’s Angelino, according to sources, but he was a fall back option with Theo Hernandez the favored option. They have, however, struggled to win over the AC Milan star, who is believed to have doubts over what a move to the Saudi Pro League could mean for his attempts to secure a spot in the France side at next summer’s World Cup. They have also seen a $34.3 million offer for Nuno Tavares rejected by Lazio. Angelino excelled in Serie A last season and the 28-year-old will come at a significant price, expected to be nearly $32 million in transfer fee alone.

There have been similar difficulties in midfield, where Bruno Fernandes said no to a pay packet that would have been worth nearly $90 million a year. Atalanta’s Ederson is admired, but Tony D’Amico, sporting director at the Italian club, confirmed on Saturday that no offer had been received from Al-Hilal.

It is perhaps worth noting that, even if Inzaghi’s side strike out in the window, this is not a squad lacking in quality. A strange run of results in January and February might have seen Al-Ittihad claim the title, but Al-Hilal have players who would enhance even the best sides at the Club World Cup. Ruben Neves and Malcom lead a talented contingent of Portuguese speakers, Aleksandar Mitrovic has been scoring goals for fun like he’s in the Championship and Marcos Leonardo speaks to the other priority in Saudi recruitment, snaring some of the best young talents in the global game. Meanwhile, Salem Al-Dawsari is perhaps the most talented Saudi Arabian in the league.

That may be enough to make an impact on the tournament anyway. Per Opta, Al-Hilal are one of only three non-European teams with a greater than 50 percent chance of making it out of their group. Finish in second place and it might be Manchester City waiting in the round of 16, a match that might delicately be described as ripe with geopolitics. There might be nothing that Al-Hilal could do in the transfer window that would make them anything less than huge underdogs against City; they wouldn’t be fancied much against Juventus either. Still, if the evidence of the last two years is anything to go on, there is little that can stop Al-Hilal from trying to snare the best and brightest. It will soon become apparent how successfully they have done so.

Al-Hilal Club World Cup schedule (Group H)