Al-Ittihad Nears Ritsu Doan Transfer 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 reshaping gathers pace.

According to Saudi outlet Al-Riyadiah, the Jeddah side have reached an agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt for the transfer of the versatile attacker. Only final contractual details stand between Doan and a switch to the Roshn League, with both clubs understood to be waiting on paperwork before going public.

The move is designed to soften the blow of Moussa Diaby’s departure to Bayer Leverkusen. His exit stripped “the Dean” of a key attacking outlet and forced the hierarchy back into the market for a forward who can both replace that threat and broaden the team’s options in the final third.

Doan ticks those boxes. Comfortable across several attacking roles and hardened by his years in Europe, the Japanese international offers flexibility and experience at a time when Al-Ittihad are trying to redraw the lines of their project and move away from many of the figures who fronted the previous era.

Al-Riyadiah report that the agreement between Al-Ittihad and Eintracht Frankfurt is already sealed, leaving only a handful of formalities before Doan is officially unveiled in Jeddah. The sense around the deal is clear: it is no longer a question of if, but when.

His arrival would be another piece in a broader recruitment drive after a summer of sweeping change. The club’s management want to arm the coach with a squad that can execute a new vision and give “the Dean” a sharper, more modern identity in the coming campaign.

If all goes to plan, Ritsu Doan will step straight into the space vacated by Diaby and inject fresh energy into Al-Ittihad’s attack. Now the fans wait, eyes fixed on the club’s channels, for the confirmation that signals the start of his Saudi chapter.