Al-Ittihad Set to Sign Ritsu Doan as Diaby Replacement

Al-Ittihad have moved fast. One key attacker out, another already lined up to walk through the door.

According to Saudi outlet Al-Riyadiah, the Jeddah giants 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 is designed to plug the gap left by the recent departure of France’s Moussa Diaby to Bayer Leverkusen.

The message from the Al-Ittihad board is clear: no time for mourning, only rebuilding.

Doan, who has built up solid experience across European leagues, is seen as a direct answer to that problem. Comfortable across several attacking roles and able to operate between the lines or out wide, he offers the kind of flexibility Al-Ittihad have been desperate to restore in the final third.

Diaby’s exit had stripped “the Dean” of one of their most prominent attacking names this mercato. It also forced the club to rethink the structure of their forward line. The hunt quickly narrowed on Doan, a player viewed as capable of not just filling a vacancy, but adding new dimensions to the attack.

The agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt is, as Al-Riyadiah reports, essentially done. Both clubs are now working through the last formalities of the contract. Barring any late twists, the official announcement is expected soon, with Doan set to begin a new chapter in the Roshn League after his spell on European pitches.

This move is not happening in isolation. It forms part of a broader recruitment drive at Al-Ittihad after a summer of sweeping changes. The hierarchy want to arm the coach with a more versatile, dynamic squad, one that can better translate his ideas on the pitch and shift the team towards a new identity.

In that context, Doan’s imminent arrival takes on added weight. He is not just another signing; he is being lined up as the man to succeed Diaby in the squad and help lead the attacking rebuild.

For now, the fans wait. The framework is in place, the clubs are aligned, and Ritsu Doan stands on the brink of becoming the latest piece in Al-Ittihad’s new project.