Al-Ettifaq manager Steven Gerrard has identified Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana as the club’s first major target for the summer.
Fofana spent the second half of last season with Al-Ettifaq on loan from Al-Nassr, before returning back to the latter at the end of the season and is currently undergoing a training camp with them in Portugal.
The 29-year-old is also subject to interest from AlºOkhdood, especially in light of Al Nassr’s desire to permanently sell Fofana and not loan him again.
Fofana’s contract with Al-Nassr runs till 2026, joining the club in July 2023 from French club RS Lens for a reported fee of €25 million.
Fofana was a regular for Al-Nassr during the first half of the season, scoring twice in 19 appearances, before netting the same number of goals in further 14 appearances for Al-Ettifaq.
Al-Ettifaq have made just two signings this summer so far, bringing in Ittihad’s Madallah Al-Olayan & Abdulelah Al-Malki from Al-Hilal.
The club had lost Jordan Henderson last season, Swedish forward Robin Quaisonas, well as Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, who moved to Ittihad in a €7.50 million deal.
Fofana has played for several clubs during his career, most notably Manchester City, Fulham, and Udinese, and won the 2023 AFCON with Ivory Coast last winter.