Hicham Boudaoui set for three-year Al-Ittihad deal in €8m transfer

The 26-year-old has been given permission by Nice to complete the move and is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming hours, according to Foot Mercato.

Boudaoui is expected to sign a three-year contract with Al-Ittihad, bringing an end to his time with the French club.

The transfer is understood to be worth €8 million to Nice, although the deal still requires approval from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns Al-Ittihad and is the club’s sole shareholder.

Boudaoui’s departure will allow Nice to secure a significant fee for a player who has less than a year remaining on his contract.

The French side would otherwise risk losing the Algeria international for nothing when his existing deal expires in June 2027.

With the transfer now moving towards completion, Boudaoui is preparing for a new chapter in his career and a switch to the Saudi league.

His move to Al-Ittihad will also give the midfielder the opportunity to take on a different challenge after his spell with Nice.

For the Côte d’Azur club, the agreement represents a financially beneficial outcome, with the €8 million fee providing compensation for the departure of a player whose contract situation had placed the club at risk of losing him without a transfer fee.

The final completion of the move depends on the required approval from the PIF. If that condition is met, Boudaoui will leave Nice and begin his three-year spell with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.