Al-Ittihad have announced the transfer of a key player from Africa's top national team

Al-Ittihad, having had a disappointing season in the Saudi Pro League, is actively working on strengthening their squad for the upcoming season.

The club has officially signed 26-year-old central midfielder for the Algerian national team, Houssem Aouar. Al-Ittihad paid Roma €12 million for the transfer. Aouar has signed a four-year contract with the Saudi club.

Aouar, a product of Lyon's academy, played six seasons in Ligue 1 and was one of the team's leaders. In total, the Algerian has scored 41 goals and provided 26 assists in 233 matches for his hometown club.

Last summer, Aouar moved to Roma on a free transfer, but he struggled to make an impact at the Italian club, playing only 25 matches throughout the season and scoring 4 goals.

It's worth noting that Al-Ittihad's new head coach, Laurent Blanc, is familiar with Aouar from their time together at Lyon. In the last season, Al-Ittihad finished only fifth in the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Ittihad also features stars like Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, and Fabinho.