Unai Hernández has officially joined Al-Ittihad during the next three seasons in an agreement that marks a new chapter in his career.
The transfer process was quickly completed, with Unai making the leap of being an outstanding player for the Barcelona reserve team to put on the al-Ithad shirt.
With only 20 years, Unai goes to the Middle East for this new and exciting adventure. His contract with the Saudi Arabia Club is established for three years, with an additional two -year option.
This movement is a clear indication of the country’s approach to the promotion of young talents, separating from their previous image of offering lucrative contracts to older players who approach at the end of their careers.
A direct treatment
Hello my friend 🐅🤩
Hi, friend #Winter_ma dean pic.twitter.com/bpihgpifr7– Saudi al -ittihad club (@ittihad) February 2, 2025
The transfer agreement was valued at 4.5 million euros, with the potential to increase to 5 million euros, provided certain clauses related to performance.
Ramon Plans, who was previously a technical secretary of Barcelona and now has the role of sports director in Al-Iitad, played a crucial role in the security of the agreement. Girona, the former Unai club, will also benefit financially from this transfer.
Unai has already arrived in Jeddah to join a team under the guidance of Laurent Blanc, which has high profile players such as N’Golo Kante, Karim Benzema and Steven Bergwijn.
Despite the geographical distance, Unai has expressed its support to its former teammate in Barcelona, Lamine Yamal. In a sincere video message, Unai assured Lamine that he turned his back on, saying: “Don’t worry, Lamine, I’m with the tigers.”
This movement highlights the changing soccer panorama in the Middle East, where clubs now seek to invest in promising young players instead of simply attracting veterans.
Hernández is now part of this exciting evolution, ready to leave his mark on Al-Titihad.