The proposed €17 million transfer of Ritsu Doan from Eintracht Frankfurt to Al-Ittihad has fallen through unexpectedly, with the Japanese winger turning down the Saudi Pro League side’s proposal in favor of staying in the Bundesliga. As revealed in an exclusive update by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Doan himself rejected the transfer and is currently returning to Frankfurt.
This sudden turn of events marks a shocking u-turn, coming just hours after Kicker indicated that both Eintracht and Al-Ittihad had settled on a €17 million fee. At that point, only minor administrative details seemed to separate the 28-year-old forward from a move to Saudi Arabia. However, those final steps have been permanently called off.
Doan blocks €17m move to Saudi Arabia himself
Frankfurt had hesitantly agreed to let Doan go, even though the forward was still a key part of manager Adi Hütter’s tactical vision. Having spent roughly €21 million to acquire Doan from SC Freiburg just last summer, Eintracht was willing to take a €4 million loss to raise crucial transfer funds. The decision was motivated chiefly by fiscal pressures rather than any urge to push the player out of the team.
This context made the potential transfer particularly striking. Doan was projected to have a significant role under Hütter for the upcoming campaign, following a difficult 2025/26 season where he found it hard to match his previous Freiburg performances. Even so, Al-Ittihad handed Frankfurt a chance to pocket a substantial lump sum. While the two teams settled on a deal, Doan chose not to sign off on it.
As a result, the Japanese international has declined the Saudi offer and is set to stay with Eintracht.
GGFN | Peter Weis
