Al-Ittihad Loan Unai Hernandez to Girona for Season

Al-Ittihad have reached an agreement with Girona over a season-long loan for Spanish midfielder Unai Hernandez, as the Jeddah club continue their overhaul ahead of the new campaign.

According to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiah, the deal sends Hernandez to La Liga for the entire season, with Girona securing an option to buy at the end of the loan. The Catalan side will pay only a limited portion of his salary, leaving Al-Ittihad to cover the bulk of his wages while he plays in Spain.

The move underlines Al-Ittihad’s willingness to trim and reshape a squad that has grown heavy in certain positions. Hernandez, one of the players associated with the club’s “Doyen” group of signings, never fully established himself as a key figure.

He joined Al-Ittihad from Barcelona in February 2025 on a three-year contract, arriving with the pedigree of a La Masia product and the expectation of becoming a creative hub in midfield. At first, he hinted at that promise: 10 appearances, one goal, three assists. Then the minutes dried up.

Last season told the story of that decline. Hernandez’s only outing for Al-Ittihad came against Al-Nassr in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final, where he featured but could not change the course of the tie. That cameo effectively marked the end of his involvement with the Black and Yellow for the year.

The club sent him on loan to Al-Shabab for the second half of the campaign, hoping regular football would reignite his spark. He played 31 matches there, a solid run of games, yet the numbers stayed modest: no goals, one assist.

Now comes another reset, this time back in Spain with Girona. For Al-Ittihad, it is a calculated step in their squad rebuild. For Hernandez, it may be the last big chance to prove he belongs at the level his early career once promised.