Al-Ettifaq Club's management rejected two official offers from Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad for the contract with midfielder Rady Al-Otaibi, considering that the offered compensation does not match the technical value that the player represents for the team.

According to informed sources, Al-Ittihad offered an amount of 11.5 million riyals in addition to the transfer of Fawaz Al-Suqoor to Al-Ettifaq, but the eastern club decided not to proceed with the deal. The offer from Al-Nassr was similar in value but did not attract the attention of Al-Ettifaq's management.

In a related context, the transfer deal of Bassam Hazzazi from Al-Nassr to Al-Ettifaq is directly linked to the return of defender Abdullah Madu to the global team, as Al-Ettifaq will benefit from waiving 13 million riyals specifically for previous transfer fees, in addition to canceling any future sale percentage for Khalid Al-Ghanam.

Al-Ettifaq finished last season in seventh place with 50 points from 34 matches, in a performance characterized by technical stability, but it did not meet the aspirations of the fans, who hope for greater competition this season for the spots qualifying for external participation.

The team's roster witnessed extensive changes with the departure of several prominent names, including Karl Toko Ekambi and Demarai Gray, while bringing in local and foreign signings such as South African Mohao Nkota, Egyptian Ahmed Hassan Koka, and Costa Rican Francisco Calvo, in a move to restructure the ranks and enhance competitiveness for the new season.