Genoa agree loan deal for Al-Ittihad defender Mario Mitaj

Genoa have agreed a deal to sign Al-Ittihad defender Mario Mitaj on a season-long loan, according to Sky Italia.

The Albania international is set to move to the Italian club temporarily, with Genoa holding an option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the loan spell.

Mitaj is currently in Genoa, where he is completing the formal procedures required before the transfer can be finalised. Once those arrangements are complete, he will join his new team-mates in group training.

The 22-year-old remains under contract with Al-Ittihad until the summer of 2028. His move to Genoa therefore represents a temporary departure from the Saudi Arabian club, unless the Italian side decide to exercise the purchase option included in the agreement.

Mitaj can play either as a left-back or as a centre-back, giving Genoa a player capable of operating in two defensive positions. His versatility is expected to be an important part of his role as he begins his time with the Italian side.

He joined Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2024 and helped the club win a league and cup double during his time in Saudi Arabia.

The agreement was reported by Sky Italia, which said Genoa had completed the negotiations for the Albania defender. The report also confirmed that the player’s arrival in Genoa was linked to the final administrative steps of the transfer and his subsequent integration into team training.

Mitaj’s Al-Ittihad contract running until 2028 means the loan does not end his association with the club immediately. Instead, the move gives him the opportunity to spend the next year with Genoa, while leaving the Italian club with the option of securing his services on a permanent basis.

For now, the immediate focus is on completing the remaining formalities and allowing Mitaj to begin working with Genoa’s squad. The club’s agreement with Al-Ittihad is understood to be for one year, with the purchase option providing a potential route to a permanent transfer after the loan period.

Al-Ittihad signed Mitaj in 2024, and he has since been part of a side that secured both the league title and the cup. His ability to cover at left-back and in central defence will now be available to Genoa as the player prepares for the next stage of his career in Italy.