Al-Ittihad Set to Sign Ritsu Doan as Diaby Replacement

Al-Ittihad are on the verge of landing one of their headline targets of the window, with Japan international Ritsu Doan set to step into the space left by Moussa Diaby.

According to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiah, the Jeddah club have reached an agreement with Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt for Doan’s transfer. The move would bring the 26-year-old to the Roshn League after his spell in Germany and previous stints across Europe.

Only a few contractual details remain before the deal is made official, with both clubs understood to be waiting on final formalities before announcing the move.

A response to Diaby’s exit

Doan’s imminent arrival is a direct reaction to the departure of France’s Moussa Diaby, who left Al-Ittihad for Bayer Leverkusen this summer. That exit tore a hole in the attacking structure and forced the club back into the market for a forward capable of operating across the front line.

Al-Ittihad’s hierarchy identified Doan as a profile who can both replace Diaby and broaden the team’s options in the final third, offering creativity, pressing energy and positional flexibility.

A versatile addition for a rebuilding squad

Comfortable in multiple attacking roles, Doan brings with him a solid bank of European experience. That blend of versatility and know-how fits neatly with Al-Ittihad’s broader rebuild, as the club moves away from several of the names that shaped the previous project.

Al-Riyadiah reports that the agreement between Al-Ittihad and Eintracht Frankfurt is already in place, leaving only a handful of legal and contractual steps before the Japanese international officially joins “the Dean”.

Part of a wider recruitment drive

Doan’s expected signing forms one piece of a larger recruitment push after a turbulent summer in Jeddah. The club’s management are intent on supplying the coach with a squad tailored to his ideas, aiming to give Al-Ittihad a sharper, more modern identity in the coming campaign.

If completed, the move would see Ritsu Doan effectively succeed Diaby in the Al-Ittihad squad and hand the team a timely attacking boost.

For now, the fans wait. The agreement is there, the need is obvious, and the project is being reshaped. All that’s missing is the official announcement and the sight of Doan in Al-Ittihad colours, ready to help define the club’s next era.