Al-Ittihad Targets Ritsu Doan as Diaby Replacement

Al-Ittihad’s rebuild is about to take on a very clear shape. The Jeddah giants are closing in on one of their priority signings of the window, and it comes with a distinctly European flavour.

According to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiah, Al-Ittihad have reached an agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt for Japan international Ritsu Doan, with only minor contractual details left before the move becomes official. The deal would bring the versatile attacker to the Roshn League and hand “the Dean” a fresh creative spark after a turbulent summer.

A response to Diaby’s exit

This move is no coincidence. It is a direct reaction.

Moussa Diaby’s departure to Bayer Leverkusen ripped a hole in Al-Ittihad’s attacking structure. He was one of the standout names of the recent project, and his exit forced the club into the market for a forward who could not only cover similar zones, but also expand the team’s attacking options.

Doan fits that brief.

Capable of operating across several attacking positions, the Japanese international offers flexibility between the lines, on either flank, and in more central roles. That profile gives the coaching staff the kind of tactical freedom they lacked once Diaby left.

European polish for a new identity

Doan arrives with something Al-Ittihad value highly in this phase of their rebuild: European experience.

After his time on European pitches, including his spell with Eintracht Frankfurt, he brings a sharper tactical education and a familiarity with high-intensity football. For a club looking to refresh its identity and move away from the names that defined the last cycle, that matters.

The Saudi report states the agreement between Al-Ittihad and Eintracht Frankfurt is already in place. Both clubs are now simply working through the final formalities before Doan can be unveiled as an Al-Ittihad player. For the Jeddah support, the wait is now about paperwork, not persuasion.

Part of a wider recruitment drive

Doan’s expected arrival is not an isolated move. It is one piece of a wider recruitment push after a summer of major upheaval.

Al-Ittihad’s management want to equip their coach with a squad capable of translating his ideas on the pitch and giving “the Dean” a noticeably different look this season. The goal is clear: more solutions in the final third, more variety in attack, and a team less dependent on any single star.

In that context, Doan is being lined up as the man to succeed Diaby in the squad hierarchy. If the deal is finalised as expected, he will be tasked with injecting creativity, movement, and end product into a forward line under reconstruction.

For now, the fans wait. The agreement is there, the intention is obvious, and Al-Ittihad’s new project is taking shape. The only question left is when Ritsu Doan will touch down in Jeddah to start rewriting the club’s attacking story.