Youssef En-Nesyri has finally completed his move to Al-Ittihad, after a transfer that almost fell apart.
The Moroccan striker’s switch from Fenerbahçe was blocked on Tuesday by problems with FIFA’s transfer system. At one point, Fenerbahçe publicly blamed Al-Ittihad and suggested the deal was off. By the next morning, it was back on.
To solve the issue, Fenerbahçe agreed to end En-Nesyri’s contract, allowing him to join Al-Ittihad as a free agent. Despite that, the Saudi club are still expected to pay around 15 million euros. En-Nesyri has signed a deal in Jeddah until 2029.
Al-Ittihad moved quickly for the 28-year-old after Karim Benzema made a surprise move to rivals Al-Hilal earlier, leaving a big gap up front.
En-Nesyri was one of the standout players at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring the winning penalty in the semi-final against Nigeria and earning a place in the team of the tournament, even though Morocco lost the final to Senegal.
