Al-Ittihad have completed the loan signing of Cameroon centre-back Stephane Keller from AEL Limassol, securing the 24-year-old defender on a temporary deal running from 2026-02-06 to 2026-06-30. The Saudi Pro League club have brought Keller in on a loan transfer with a loan fee:€500k, adding height and depth to their defensive options for the second half of the campaign.
Keller joins Al-Ittihad from Cyprus League side AEL Limassol, where his strong form helped raise his market value to €250k by the end of 2025. The agreement is defined as a loan transfer, with an upcoming return already set: at the end of the spell, on 2026-06-30, he is scheduled to go back to AEL Limassol at the end of loan. That structure means there is no immediate change to his long-term registration, but also opens the possibility that his future could remain uncertain after the loan, depending on how his parent club and potential suitors react to his performances.
The move continues a distinctly international career path for the defender. Born in Grand Batanga, Cameroon, on 20 Aug 2001, the 1.90 m right-footed centre-back developed in Spain with Deportivo Alavés, progressing from Deportivo Alavés U19 to Deportivo Alavés B in 2020. He later gained senior experience in Croatia’s top flight with NK Istra 1961 during a loan transfer in the 2024-25 season, before returning to Spain and then making a permanent switch to Cyprus with AEL Limassol in 2025.
At AEL Limassol, Keller’s value rose steadily. Transfermarkt data shows his market value climbing from €150k at Deportivo Alavés B to €250k with the Cypriot club by late 2025, reflecting his growing reputation as a physically imposing central defender. The move to Saudi Arabia places him in the Saudi Pro League, a step that adds another country and another league to a résumé that already spans Spain, Croatia, and Cyprus, while keeping him far from his home country Cameroon.
The loan structure also shapes his medium-term outlook. With an end of loan already recorded for 2026-06-30, Keller is contractually tied to a return to AEL Limassol on that date. Beyond that, no further contract expiry is listed in the data for his Cypriot club, leaving room for future negotiations or a potential shift in status if agreements are not extended or renewed after his return.
From a career perspective, the Al-Ittihad spell offers a high-profile stage. A strong showing in the Saudi Pro League could justify a higher valuation than his current €250k and invite either a permanent transfer or renewed interest from other clubs once he goes back to Cyprus. With his size, experience across several European leagues, and age profile at 24, the coming months in Jeddah may prove decisive in determining whether Keller settles into a long-term role in the Middle East, returns to establish himself at AEL Limassol, or eventually moves again as his contract situation evolves following the completion of this confirmed loan.
