Al-Ittihad have continued their search for talent in order to strengthen their squad with some stars during the current summer transfer window.
Earlier press reports had revealed Al-Ittihad's desire to sign Khalid Al-Ghannam, the Al-Ettifaq winger, in the ongoing summer transfer window, following his standout performances with the "Knight of Al-Dahna" during the past season of the Roshn League.
Now Saudi newspaper "Al-Yaum" have named another player Al-Ittihad want from Al-Ettifaq this summer: midfielder Mukhtar Ali.
The paper reports that "The Dean" have opened advanced talks with Al-Ettifaq, and that they are progressing well. Mukhtar Ali could well be lining up for the Jeddah side next season.
A defensive midfielder is the priority to fill the gap left by Brazilian Fabinho's departure. Al-Ittihad have been linked with several stars, among them Egyptian Marwan Attia, Moroccan Sofyan Amrabat and Nigerians Raphael Onyedika and Wilfred Ndidi.
Mukhtar Ali, 28, was one of Al-Ettifaq's standout performers last season. He featured in 32 of their 34 Roshn League matches, scoring once.
His CV carries some weight. The Al-Ettifaq star came through Chelsea's youth ranks until 2019, then moved to Dutch side Vitesse, and from there to Al-Nassr, where he played between 2019 and 2022 before spells at Al-Tai, Al-Fateh and finally Al-Ettifaq.
On the international stage, the 28-year-old has represented Saudi Arabia since 2019, winning 14 caps across the 2024 Asian Cup, the 2025 Gold Cup and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, though he did not feature in the tournament itself.