Al Ahli head into the new Saudi Pro League season facing more uncertainty than their status as back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite winners would suggest. The defining development of their summer has been the abrupt departure of Matthias Jaisle, who resigned to take charge of Newcastle United after three years that brought two continental titles to Jeddah. The club moved quickly to appoint Marino Buscic, formerly of Shakhtar Donetsk and UAE side Al Jazira, on a contract running until 2028, but the transition has not been smooth.

A pre-season friendly defeat to Al Ittifaq, 3-1 without a head coach in the dugout, raised questions about the squad's readiness. The departure of Riyad Mahrez following his international retirement and the exit of Frank Kessie have broken up one of the team's most recognisable partnerships. The club has responded in the transfer market, signing Krasnodar playmaker Eduard Spertsyan and Portuguese winger Francisco Trinacao in an 85 million euro deal, while reports indicate Buscic and the playing squad are pushing the board to add a new central midfielder before the window closes.

Complicating matters further, top scorer Ivan Toney is facing an assault charge in England, relating to an incident at a Soho nightclub on 31 July. His spokesperson said he is shocked and will contest the allegation, but the situation adds an unwanted distraction as the season opener at Al Diriyah on 13 August approaches. Al Ahli begin the league campaign with no points alongside all other clubs, and Buscic will need a settled squad quickly if the Jeddah side are to defend their continental standing on the domestic front too.