Al-Ahli bring in France and Guinea midfielder Ibrahima Diaby from Cercle Brugge

France and Guinea midfielder Ibrahima Diaby has joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli from Cercle Brugge for €13.5m. The 19-year-old defensive midfielder completed the move on 6 September 2026 after beginning the season in Belgium.

Diaby had made four appearances for Cercle Brugge in the Jupiler Pro League before switching clubs, starting every match and playing 349 minutes. He scored no goals or assists during that run and received one yellow card.

The move comes just over a year after Diaby arrived at Cercle Brugge from Paris Saint-Germain’s under-23 side on a free transfer. He had progressed through PSG’s youth system, moving from the club’s under-17 team to the under-19s before stepping up to the under-23 squad.

While at PSG, Diaby was part of the side that won the French Under-19 Championship in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. His move to Cercle Brugge gave him his first senior experience, with his early appearances in the 2026-27 Belgian campaign coming before his departure for Saudi Arabia.

Born in Conakry, Diaby holds French and Guinean nationality. He is 1.89m tall and favours his left foot, with defensive midfield listed as his primary position.

Al-Ahli’s new signing moves to the Saudi Pro League after a brief spell in Belgian football, having made four league appearances for Cercle Brugge before the transfer was completed. The €13.5m fee is considerably above his listed market value of €1.5m, although that valuation does not determine the final price agreed between the clubs.

Diaby has signed for Al-Ahli on a contract running until 30 June 2030.