Al-Ittihad’s pre-season plans under scrutiny as Jens Wissing demands midfield reinforcements

Jens Wissing is reportedly unhappy with Al-Ittihad’s handling of his transfer plans and preparations for the new season, with failed recruitment efforts and a growing injury list adding to the German coach’s concerns.

According to Saudi media figure Mohammed Al-Bakiri, Al-Ittihad’s executive management has “let down” Wissing by failing to meet several of his technical demands. The coach had identified a number of positions that required urgent strengthening before the start of competitive action.

Wissing’s main request was understood to be the signing of two foreign defensive midfielders. He wanted greater depth in the holding midfield positions, as well as more options in the centre of the pitch.

However, Al-Ittihad ultimately signed only Senegalese midfielder Dion Lopy. The report said Wissing had reservations about that deal, although it did not specify the nature of his concerns.

The coach’s dissatisfaction is also said to extend beyond the transfer market. Sources cited in the report claimed Wissing was unhappy with the club’s pre-season training camp, particularly because several new signings arrived late.

As a result, the German was unable to work with the full group he had expected to have available during the preparation period. The incomplete squad made it more difficult for him to establish his preferred approach and assess the players together before the campaign began.

A series of injuries has further complicated the situation. Wissing has been left with a number of absentees, limiting his tactical choices at a time when he needed continuity and the opportunity to test what he regarded as his strongest starting line-up.

The concerns place Al-Ittihad’s management under pressure as the club prepares for a season in which expectations are high. The team is entering the campaign with major ambitions, but the coaching staff reportedly believes delays in completing the squad, the accumulation of injuries and the failure to fulfil some of Wissing’s requests could affect the side’s readiness.

The situation has therefore created tension between the coach’s plans and the club’s transfer strategy. Wissing wanted additional defensive-midfield options to strengthen the squad, but the club’s business in that area was limited to the arrival of Lopy.

With the preparations having been affected by late arrivals and a number of players unavailable through injury, the coach has had less time and fewer resources than planned to settle on his team. Those difficulties have now become a significant test for Al-Ittihad’s administration as it seeks to match the club’s ambitions with the demands of its manager.