Al-Ittihad Targets Ritsu Doan as Diaby Replacement

Al-Ittihad have moved quickly to plug one of the biggest gaps in their squad, closing on a deal for Japan international Ritsu Doan as the club’s attacking rebuild gathers pace.

According to Saudi outlet Al-Riyadiah, the Jeddah giants have reached an agreement with Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt for the transfer of the versatile forward. Only a few contractual details remain before the move becomes official, with all sides expecting confirmation soon.

This is not a luxury signing. It is a direct response.

Moussa Diaby’s departure to Bayer Leverkusen tore a hole in Al-Ittihad’s frontline, stripping “the Dean” of one of their most prominent attacking weapons. The board reacted by targeting a player who could not only cover those responsibilities, but expand the team’s range of options in the final third.

Doan fits that brief. Comfortable across several attacking positions, the Japanese star offers flexibility between the lines and out wide, along with the kind of European experience Al-Ittihad’s hierarchy now see as essential to their new project.

The pressure to get this one right has been obvious. Al-Ittihad are coming out of a summer of upheaval, reshaping a squad that once carried some of the league’s biggest names. The club’s management want to arm the coach with profiles suited to a refreshed identity, one less reliant on past reputations and more on tactical adaptability.

That is where Doan comes in. His expected arrival is part of a broader recruitment drive aimed at giving “the Dean” a sharper, more modern edge in attack.

Al-Riyadiah report that the agreement between Al-Ittihad and Eintracht Frankfurt is already sealed, with both clubs now working through the final legal and contractual steps before the player is unveiled in Jeddah. The sense around the deal is that it is a question of timing, not outcome.

Once signed, Doan will effectively step into Diaby’s shoes in the Al-Ittihad squad, tasked with helping restore the attacking punch that defined previous versions of this team. For supporters, the equation is simple: they want a statement signing who can change games and embody the club’s new direction.

Now they wait for the official announcement—and for the moment the Japanese international walks into a dressing room, and a project, that expect him to lead a new era.