Winter Freeze: Al-Ittihad Pauses Signings as Foreign-born Prospects Hover
24 November 2025
Winter Transfer Freeze at Al-Ittihad
Al-Ittihad’s management has decided to suspend winter transfer activity as they await the latest developments on the eligibility of foreign-born players in the first team for the upcoming season.
According to the Saudi sports daily Al-Riyadhiah, the western club will not pursue new signings during the winter window, waiting for a final decision from the General Assembly of the Saudi Football Federation on whether to maintain or modify current regulations before January.
The leadership aims to blueprint a winter transfer strategy, hoping to strengthen certain positions with homegrown players at the request of Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao.
Conceicao hopes these moves will give the Tigers greater flexibility in the technical lists for the coming seasons.
The paper notes that Al-Ittihad currently has Mohamedou Doumbia (born 2004) and Mario Metai (born 2003) on its books, who could enter the eight-foreign-player limit if the federation updates its regulations in June 2024.
In parallel, there is a note of a potential European move for one of the club’s players as Benfica reportedly eyes Roger Fernandes, a 20-year-old who could head back to Europe on loan for further development.
The Benfica interest is described as serious, with the plan reportedly being a loan until the end of the season, letting the young talent return to the environment where he trained and developed previously.
Roger Fernandes arrived at Al-Ittihad in the summer from Sporting Braga in a deal totaling around 32 million euros, making him one of the club’s priciest signings this season. After featuring in a handful of fixtures, his current market value is estimated at about 22 million euros.
In the lineup for the upcoming match, experts note the club has kept both foreign players in focus for the Duhail clash, highlighting the importance of tactical depth as the team navigates the group stage of the Elite competition.
Concerns about the club’s schedule were echoed by Conceicao, who cautioned about the challenges faced by Al-Duhail and emphasized a determined mindset: the objective is to win and to keep improving, even when the road is rocky.
He also commented on the squad’s condition, stressing that readiness remains high, and he expects a strong response to maintain balance amid a tight calendar.
On the other side, Djamel Belmadi, the Al-Duhail coach, acknowledged the significance of the match, underscoring the need for positive results and continued progress in the standings. He stressed that this competition differs from domestic league play and that focus must be sharp for the Asian encounter.
Belmadi added that all players are available and ready to contribute, with an emphasis on delivering a strong performance and restoring equilibrium in the team’s form.
Upcoming Challenge and Strategy
The article also sketches a broader context: the two clubs sit in different positions in the Elite group, with Al-Ittihad aiming to consolidate a solid campaign while leveraging youth in their foreign-born quota decisions.
Analysts expect a carefully managed approach from the coaching staff, balancing long-term development with immediate results, especially as January approaches and regulatory decisions loom.
For football fans, the blend of strategic patience and European links adds a layer of intrigue to what promises to be a high-stakes ACL Elite phase, where every decision echoes through the squad’s future.
Punchline time: If patience were a transfer fee, Al-Ittihad would be the richest club on earth. Punchline two: The winter window is so slow that even a turtle would file a loan deal and call it a long-term investment.
