Al-Ittihad have renewed their push to sign Al-Ettifaq winger Khalid Al-Ghannam, last season’s highest-scoring Saudi player in the Saudi Pro League, despite tight financial constraints and earlier reports that the move had collapsed.
The Jeddah club had been widely reported to have pulled out of negotiations for the 25-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window, amid suggestions that German head coach Jens Keller Wissing had not given his final approval to the deal.
However, respected journalist Ben Jacobs has stated on X that Al-Ittihad are still actively working on the transfer, while making clear they will not enter a bidding war over the fee or salary package because of restrictions currently imposed on the club.
Jacobs added that Al-Ghannam is also attracting interest from two other Saudi Pro League sides – Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ahli – setting up the possibility of a three-way domestic battle for his signature.
Financial limits shape Al-Ittihad approach
Al-Ittihad’s renewed interest comes against the backdrop of financial controls which have affected transfer business across several Saudi clubs.
While the exact nature of Al-Ittihad’s constraints was not detailed, Jacobs said the club had refused to “overpay” as they look to land Al-Ghannam, indicating that negotiations with Al-Ettifaq and the player’s camp are finely balanced.
The emerging competition from Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ahli could further test Al-Ittihad’s stance, particularly given Al-Ghannam’s status as one of the league’s most productive attacking players last season.
Any move by Al-Ittihad would add another high-profile Saudi international to a squad already containing a core of established domestic stars alongside foreign signings.
Al-Ettifaq press on with winger’s fitness plan
While transfer speculation continues, Al-Ettifaq appear determined to proceed as though Al-Ghannam will remain part of their plans for next season.
According to Saudi daily Arriyadiyah, the Dammam club have set up a special training programme for the winger to bring him back to peak physical condition, after he missed both the first phase of pre-season and the start of the second training camp in Spain.
The report says Al-Ettifaq have effectively brushed aside the transfer talk and are focused on restoring the player’s fitness levels, underlining his importance to their tactical set-up.
Al-Ghannam has been granted extended leave following his involvement with the Saudi national team at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where the Green Falcons exited at the group stage.
Prolific season sparks transfer race
Al-Ghannam’s performances in the 2023-24 campaign are at the heart of the current interest. The Al-Ettifaq star scored 13 league goals, making him the top-scoring Saudi player in the Roshn Saudi League.
His output and versatility in wide areas have convinced several clubs that he can significantly strengthen their domestic quota, which remains crucial in a league still governed by limits on foreign players.
At 25, he is also viewed as entering his prime years, combining experience across multiple clubs with potential for further development at the highest level.
Journeyman of the Saudi game
Al-Ghannam has already built up substantial experience across several of the country’s leading sides.
He began his senior career at Al-Qadsiah, spending a season with their first team before securing a move to Al-Nassr, where he played for three years. Spells at Al-Fateh and Al-Ettifaq followed, while he also had a loan stint at Al-Hilal in the season before last.
That journey through some of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent clubs has given him exposure to different systems and pressure environments – a factor that likely adds to his appeal for suitors such as Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli, both of whom operate under intense scrutiny and high expectations.
With Al-Ettifaq continuing to prepare him for the new season and at least three Pro League clubs circling, Al-Ghannam’s future is poised to become one of the key domestic transfer stories of the upcoming Saudi summer window.
