Al-Ittihad Set to Sign Ritsu Doan as Diaby Replacement
Al-Ittihad’s rebuild is about to take on a very different shape.
The Jeddah giants have reached an agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt for Japan international Ritsu Doan, according to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiah, with only minor contractual details left before the move becomes official. The deal is designed to plug one of the biggest gaps in their squad after a turbulent mercato.
Moussa Diaby’s departure to Bayer Leverkusen left a hole not just in Al-Ittihad’s attack, but in their entire attacking structure. He was a reference point, a constant outlet, the man who stretched defences and opened doors in the final third. When he left, “the Dean” suddenly needed more than just a winger. They needed a new attacking fulcrum.
That search has led them to Doan.
The Japanese attacker, currently on the books at Eintracht Frankfurt, brings a blend Al-Ittihad have been missing: versatility across the front line and a grounding in high-level European football. He can operate wide, drift inside, link play or attack the box himself. For a team trying to redraw its identity, that profile matters.
The pressure of this summer’s overhaul has been obvious. Al-Ittihad are not simply topping up a settled squad; they are reshaping it. Several of the names that carried the previous project are moving on, and the club’s hierarchy wants to arm the coach with players who can execute a new set of ideas rather than repeat old patterns.
Doan fits that brief. His years in Europe have hardened him in different tactical systems and against a range of defensive schemes. That experience is one of the key reasons Al-Ittihad see him as a natural successor to Diaby in the squad, even if the two have different stylistic nuances.
Al-Riyadiah reports that the agreement between Al-Ittihad and Eintracht Frankfurt is already in place, with both clubs now simply working through the final legal and contractual steps before the transfer is rubber-stamped. Inside the club, the feeling is that the announcement is now a matter of timing, not negotiation.
Doan’s expected signing is part of a broader recruitment drive aimed at giving “the Dean” a fresher, more flexible attacking edge. The plan is clear: provide the coach with multiple solutions in the final third, not just one star name to carry the burden.
If the deal is confirmed, Doan will walk into a role of real responsibility, effectively succeeding Diaby in the attacking hierarchy and tasked with lifting Al-Ittihad’s offensive output. For the fans, the wait now is for the official unveiling — and the first glimpse of how a Japanese playmaker can help power a very Saudi reset.
