U-turn in the Doan deal: Eintracht says no to Al-Ittihad

Ritsu Doan had been on track to leave Eintracht Frankfurt after only a year and join Al-Ittihad, a move that was reportedly close to being set. But, according to kicker, the plan has taken an unexpected turn.

Doan talks take a detour

As the outlet reports, the 28-year-old returned from Saudi Arabia, after the situation around the Saudi club shifted. In other words: Frankfurt, which seemed to have the deal on the right track, has now rejected Al-Ittihad.

The article stresses that, in essence, the exit was already being treated as practically decided—just not to the point of completion. With the return from the Middle East, the operation is now effectively paused, and it’s unclear what the next step for the Japan international will be.

For Eintracht, this matters on two levels: any planned sale (or similar move) that was assumed to be imminent gets postponed or scrapped, and the club must rethink how Doan fits into its plans from here.

What comes next

The key question now is whether Frankfurt will keep Doan in its squad and, separately, whether Al-Ittihad tries again later—or if the whole idea is being dropped for good. For now, kicker is clear that the move is not moving forward as expected.