Al-Ittihad have signed Senegalese midfielder Dion Lopy from Spanish club Almeria on a contract running until 2029.
The Saudi Pro League club confirmed the transfer in a video posted on their official account on X, announcing Lopy as their first new foreign signing of the current summer transfer window.
Al-Ittihad did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement. However, previous media reports said the club would pay Almeria €13m in instalments, with the Spanish side also entitled to 10% of any future transfer fee received for the player.
Lopy is expected to replace Brazilian midfielder Fabinho, whose contract expired at the end of last season and was not renewed.
The 24-year-old primarily operates as a defensive midfielder but can also play in a deeper central midfield role, giving Al-Ittihad another option in an area of the pitch that has been reshaped this summer.
The transfer is the club’s first new overseas acquisition of the window. Al-Ittihad had already exercised the purchase option in the contract of Cameroonian defender Stefan Keller, who had been on loan from Cypriot club Limassol.
Lopy joined Almeria in 2023 after moving from French side Stade de Reims. During his time with the Spanish club, he made 105 appearances, scoring four goals and providing six assists.
At international level, he has represented Senegal since 2023. Lopy has won five caps but is yet to score or assist for his country. He was also not selected for Senegal’s squads for the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup during the current year.
The midfielder’s move to Al-Ittihad adds further depth to the Saudi club’s squad following the departure of Fabinho, who had been an important presence in midfield before leaving at the conclusion of the previous campaign.
Al-Ittihad’s announcement did not include details of any performance-related clauses or other conditions in Lopy’s contract. The reported structure of the deal means Almeria would receive the transfer fee in several payments, while retaining a financial interest in a future sale.
Lopy now begins a new stage of his career in Saudi Arabia after three seasons with Almeria. His arrival is also the first step in Al-Ittihad’s recruitment of new foreign players during the current summer market.
