Khamis Al-Zahrani's Verdict on Al-Ittihad's Foreign Players
Al-Ittihad great Khamis Al-Zahrani has delivered a blunt verdict on the club’s foreign core, urging Houssem Aouar and Youssef En-Nesyri to walk away from Jeddah before the new season even begins.
For a man who helped shape the club’s golden eras, the message was as stark as it was simple: this squad, as built, cannot play the football new coach Jens Wissing wants.
“They can’t perform the roles”
Speaking to Al-Arabiya, Al-Zahrani painted a demanding picture of the campaign ahead, warning that Al-Ittihad are heading into “a very big season” with a glaring structural flaw.
The issue, in his eyes, sits right at the heart of the pitch.
“Al-Ittihad needs great depth in midfield,” he said, before turning directly to the high-profile names under the microscope. “Neither (Houssem) Aouar nor Fabinho nor (Youssef) En-Nesyri can perform the roles the coach is expected to demand of them, which involve direct play, pressing and quick transition.”
That is a damning assessment of three marquee players, and a clear indication of how radically Wissing’s ideas differ from what came before. The German coach wants intensity, verticality, and aggression without the ball. Al-Zahrani does not see that in the current spine.
Under scrutiny and out of time
The former midfielder made it clear that the clock is ticking.
“Al-Ittihad needs midfielders, with Fabinho, Aouar and En-Nesyri coming under the coach’s scrutiny, so that he can take the appropriate decision on them as soon as possible, especially since Fabinho’s contract has already ended,” he added.
This is not a gentle transition. It is a stress test on reputations.
Al-Zahrani pushed for speed and precision in the market, insisting that the club cannot afford hesitation with such a demanding season ahead.
“These matters require speed in decision-making, in addition to quality in selection, especially since the coach has now got to know the players, put his finger on the wound, and must plug the gaps with distinguished signings,” he said.
The diagnosis is done, in his view. Now comes surgery.
Two new midfielders on the horizon
Al-Zahrani also lifted the lid slightly on the club’s recruitment plans, hinting at a double move in midfield.
“What I know is that Al-Ittihad will bring in midfield players, one of them a replacement for Fabinho, and the other playing in the same way as (Mamadou) Doumbia, while Aouar’s situation remains linked to the team’s squad and the number of foreign players,” he revealed.
That line is telling. Aouar’s future, once framed as central to a new project, is now reduced to a numbers game in the foreign quota. En-Nesyri, meanwhile, is grouped with him as a player unsuited to Wissing’s pressing blueprint.
For Al-Zahrani, the solution is brutal but clean: if they do not fit, they should go.
A big club, a raw coach, and a “thorny” moment
Beyond individual names, the club legend sounded genuinely alarmed by the broader context around Al-Ittihad’s rebuild.
He described the situation as “a thorny matter,” pointing to a perfect storm of pressure points: limited time, financial strain, and a new coach still unproven at this level.
“Time is extremely tight, especially in light of the financial difficulties, in addition to the presence of a new coach who does not possess great experience in leading a big team the size of Al-Ittihad club,” he concluded.
It is a harsh spotlight on Wissing before a ball has been kicked, and a reminder of the unforgiving expectations that come with the Al-Ittihad job. The message from one of the club’s own icons could not be clearer: reshape the midfield, make ruthless calls on Aouar and En-Nesyri, and do it fast.
Because in Jeddah, nobody waits for a project to catch up with the size of the badge.
