Al-Ittihad are not done yet, and that is the key point here. Even after bringing in two new stars, the club are still shopping for more midfield legs, more control and, frankly, more reliability after Fabinho's departure and injuries to Mamadou Doumbia and Hamed Al-Ghamdi.
The latest name on the list is Georginio Wijnaldum, a midfielder with the kind of pedigree that instantly makes sense on paper. He spent 2016 to 2021 at Liverpool, then went on to complete three years with Al-Ettifaq from 2023 to 2026. Now, after Al-Ettifaq let him go at the end of last season when his contract expired, he has emerged as a fresh candidate for Al-Ittihad's midfield for the new campaign.
Why Al-Ittihad keep looking
This is what modern squad building often looks like when the first wave of business does not fully solve the problem. Al-Ittihad have already landed Rakan Kaabi and Dion Lopy, but the midfield still apparently needs more work. That is hardly a surprise when one departure and two injuries can change the whole feel of a squad in an instant.
Wijnaldum fits the profile of a club that wants experience, calm and a player who understands high-pressure football. He is not being linked as a novelty act. He is being discussed because Al-Ittihad still need midfield depth and the new season is too important to leave that area thin.
There is a simple reality underneath all of this: two arrivals do not automatically mean the rebuild is finished. Al-Ittihad have been linked with a string of midfielders for a reason, and Wijnaldum's name being added to the shortlist tells you the club are still searching for the right balance. In the Saudi Roshn League, that kind of hesitation can be expensive.
For now, the headline is straightforward. Georginio Wijnaldum is on Al-Ittihad's radar, and the club's continued midfield churn suggests they are not convinced the job is done just yet.
