What does the 2026 summer transfer window hold for Al-Ittihad?

Al-Ittihad are preparing for an important summer transfer window after a disappointing 2025-26 season in which they failed to win any honours and could only secure a place in the play-off round for the AFC Champions League Elite.

The Saudi club are now looking to reshape their squad and build a team capable of competing strongly for major trophies next season. The transfer market is therefore expected to be approached with a clear focus on strengthening the side and improving its prospects after an underwhelming campaign.

The 2025-26 season ended without Al-Ittihad achieving any of their major objectives. Their only notable outcome was qualification for the play-off round of the AFC Champions League Elite, leaving the club short of the success expected from them.

That result has increased the importance of the 2026 summer window. Al-Ittihad’s plans are centred on constructing a more competitive squad for the season ahead, with the club’s ambitions extending beyond simply securing a place in continental competition.

The summer market will provide the opportunity to address the shortcomings exposed during the previous campaign. Al-Ittihad want to enter the new season with a team capable of challenging for honours, rather than settling for a limited return.

The club’s approach is being shaped by the need to compete at a higher level across the season. After ending the previous campaign without a trophy, Al-Ittihad are entering the transfer period with the intention of making improvements that can help them mount a serious challenge in the competitions ahead.

The full overview of the club’s activity during the 2026 summer transfer window is set to include both new arrivals and players who leave Al-Ittihad. Those moves will form part of the wider effort to create a squad suited to the club’s objectives for the coming season.

For now, the central message is clear: Al-Ittihad are treating the summer as a chance to respond to a frustrating campaign. Their failure to win anything in 2025-26 has made squad-building a priority, while their place in the AFC Champions League Elite play-off round represents the extent of their achievement last season.

The club’s objective is to emerge from the window with a stronger and more ambitious group of players. Al-Ittihad want to compete for trophies with greater authority next season, and the decisions made during the summer will be important to that ambition.

This article tracks Al-Ittihad’s activity in the 2026 summer transfer window, including the players arriving at the club and those departing. It follows the club’s attempt to move on from a season in which continental play-off qualification was the only significant outcome and lay the foundations for a more successful campaign.