Stefan Cleary Joins Beveren on Loan from Al-Ittihad

Al-Ittihad have drawn a clear line through Stefan Cleary’s season – and it runs straight to Belgium.

On Tuesday evening, “The Dean” confirmed that Cleary will join Belgian side Beveren on loan until the end of the current campaign, a move designed less as an exit and more as an investment in his future.

The club announced the deal through their official X account, confirming they had accepted Beveren’s request to take the young player on a temporary basis. For Cleary, it means stepping away from “The Tigers” for now to measure himself on unfamiliar ground and in a different football culture.

This is not a case of cutting ties. It is a calculated push. Al-Ittihad want the youngster playing, not waiting. With competition for places fierce and minutes at a premium, the coaching staff and hierarchy see regular game time elsewhere as the quickest route to the level they expect from him.

So the solution is simple: send him where he can play, grow, and return sharper.

Inside the club, the message to Cleary was clear before he left. The management offered public and private backing, wishing him success and openly expressing the hope that he comes back from Belgium more complete, more experienced, and ready to fight for his place.

The move also slots neatly into a broader strategy. Al-Ittihad are reshaping their squad this season, blending arrivals with carefully chosen departures on loan. Some are being asked to prove themselves abroad, others to adapt to different styles and pressures, all while the core group battles for domestic and continental honors.

Cleary’s loan is one more piece in that puzzle.

He is expected to remain with Beveren until the end of the campaign, then report back to Al-Ittihad unless new developments emerge over his long-term future. What happens next will depend on what he does with this window of opportunity: the minutes he earns, the performances he delivers, the player he becomes.

For now, the path is set. Stefan Cleary leaves Al-Ittihad with the club’s blessing, heading to Beveren in search of game time, rhythm, and real growth.

The next time he pulls on the Al-Ittihad shirt, the question will be simple: did Belgium turn promise into proof?