Al Ahli sign 19-year-old French midfielder Ibrahima Diaby from Cercle Brugge

Al Ahli have signed French defensive midfielder Ibrahima Diaby from Belgian club Cercle Brugge on a four-year contract.

The Saudi club confirmed the arrival of the 19-year-old, who was born in 2007 and developed through the Paris Saint-Germain academy before moving to Belgium.

Al Ahli said Diaby had captained several of Paris Saint-Germain’s youth teams, highlighting his leadership qualities as well as his technical ability from an early age.

In a statement announcing the deal, the club said: “Diaby, 19, was born in 2007 and progressed through the age-group teams at the Paris Saint-Germain academy, where he wore the captain’s armband for several of the club’s youth sides, an indication of his leadership personality and technical capabilities from a young age.”

Reports indicate that Al Ahli will pay 13.5m euros for the midfielder, with the overall value of the transfer including incentives and bonuses.

Diaby came through the Paris Saint-Germain academy before signing a professional contract with Cercle Brugge last summer. During his time with the Belgian club, he made 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing two assists.

His move to Al Ahli brings an end to his first period in senior football and adds another young player to the squad of the club described as Asian champions in each of the past two seasons.

Al Ahli have also signed Francisco Trincao, Eduard Spertsyan, Abu Bakr Sidi Kinet, Nayef Masoud, Artem Bondarenko, Abdullah Al-Radif and Mishal Al-Mutairi.

Diaby’s arrival continues the club’s recruitment of emerging talent while also giving Al Ahli a midfielder with experience of senior competition despite his age. His background at Paris Saint-Germain, where he held leadership responsibilities in several youth teams, was emphasised by the club as part of the announcement.

The four-year agreement means Diaby is set to remain with Al Ahli through the long term, following his spell with Cercle Brugge. The Belgian side was his first professional club after his progression through the Paris Saint-Germain youth system.

Al Ahli’s announcement did not provide further details about the structure of the reported fee, beyond the indication that the 13.5m euros includes performance-related incentives and bonuses. The club did confirm the length of Diaby’s contract and his move from Cercle Brugge.

The Frenchman’s record in Belgium consisted of 32 appearances across all competitions, with two goals and two assists. He now joins Al Ahli as a 19-year-old defensive midfielder who has already been trusted with captaincy during his development at one of Europe’s leading academies.