Al-Ittihad are still busy in the summer market as they look to bolster their midfield options before the window shuts. The Saudi club want players who can offer fresh solutions in the weeks ahead.
Their search has now taken them to Benfica, with Al-Ittihad enquiring about midfielder Leandro Barreiro, according to Portuguese newspaper Record on Monday.
Record said: "Al-Ittihad submitted an offer to sign Leandro Barreiro, but the offer was met with rejection."
The report continued: "The Saudi club was prepared to pay 15 million euros for the Luxembourg international, who was a key player at the start of this season. It remains to be seen whether [Al-Ittihad] will try again."
There is a familiar thread here. Al-Ittihad's technical director Jens Wissing once worked as assistant to former Benfica coach Roger Schmidt, the man who brought Barreiro to the club in the first place.
Record concluded: "Al-Ittihad's technical director Jens Wissing wants to sign the Benfica midfielder, but the [Portuguese] club's board, led by Rui Costa, will not facilitate his departure."