Nuno Espirito Santo got to welcome new signings Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Jota to Al Ittihad on Monday, the 10th of June, 2023.
In what was a heart-warming video shared via the club’s social media platforms, Espirito Santo was seen hugging his new players.
Al Ittihad captioned the post with: “New beginnings”, as they commence preseason preparations this week.
Nuno Espirito Santo welcome new signings to Al Ittihad
Karim Benzema was the first addition to join the club this summer, penning a lucrative deal with Jeddah based side.
The Frenchman will reportedly earn about €200 million yearly at Al Ittihad and he signed a 3-year-deal with the Saudi Arabian giants.
N’Golo Kante was the second signing made in the summer of 2023 and he also joined on a free transfer from Chelsea.
The French midfieder will earn £21.5 million at Al Ittihad after penning a four-year deal with the club.
Jota is the most recent arrival and he joined the Saudi Pro League club from Celtic for a fee of about £25 million.
The Portuguese put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal with the club and he will earn above £10 million yearly at Al Ittihad.
Reports still indicate that despite these high profile arrivals, the club aren’t done with business in the transfer market.
There are also reports linking Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba with a possible move to Saudi Arabia.
Paul Pogba to Al Ittihad?
Pogba visited Al Ittihad’s training ground on the 10th of July, 2023 and that has fueled speculations that he might be reuniting with compatriots N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema.
However, it is unknown if the Frenchman wants to move to the Saudi Pro League or if he is only examining the club’s interest.
The defending Champions of the Saudi Pro League have made needed signings that will help chart their upcoming season towards greatness.
They will be looking to win the Pro League title in back-to-back fashion and also compete optimally in cup competitions.
Al Ittihad will be playing in the Arab Club Champions Cup later in July and they will commence the tournament with an encounter against Esperance Sportive de Tunis on the 27th of July, 2023.
They will also battle CS Sfaxien and Al Shorta on the 30th of July and 2nd of August respectively.
The Saudi Arabian top-flight league will commence on the 11th of August, 2023 and the Jeddah based club are making needed preparations and reinforcements.
Al Ittihad won the 2022/23 Saudi Pro League title with 72 points, winning 22 matches, drawing 6 games and losing 2 from 30 matches played.
Players of Al Ittihad 2023/24 Season
Goalkeepers
Marcelo Grohe
Abdullah Al-Jadani
Osama Al-Mermesh
Saleh Al-Ohaymid
Mohammed Abu Aseda
Defenders
Sultan Al-Sulayi
Ahmed Hegazy
Ahmed Sharahili
Ziyad Al-Sahafi
Omar Hawsawi
Aseel Abed
Ahmed Bamsaud
Hamdan Al-Shammrani
Zakaria Hawsawi
Mohammed Al-Oufi
Hazim Al-Zahrani
Madallah Al-Olayan
Muhannad Shanqeeti
Hassan Al-Asmari
Midfielders
N’Golo Kanté
Tarek Hamed
Awad Al-Nashri
Igor Coronado
Marwan Al-Sahafi
Nour El Din El Bahar
Forwards
Jota
Abdulrahman Al-Oboud
Abdulaziz Al-Bishi
Karim Benzema
Romarinho
Abderrazak Hamdallah
Haroune Camara
Mohammed Al Saiari
