Al-Ahli Secures Abdullah Radif After Jaissle Departure

In a week dominated by the shock of Matthias Jaissle’s departure, Al-Ahli have moved quickly to change the conversation. The German coach is heading to Newcastle United; in his wake, the Jeddah club have secured a new attacking option – and won a domestic transfer battle in the process.

Saudi outlet Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Saturday that Al-Ahli have wrapped up a deal for Saudi striker Abdullah Radif, formerly of Al-Hilal, on a free transfer. The 23-year-old will sign a four-year contract running through to 2030, with the official announcement expected once the final paperwork is completed.

This was not a straightforward capture. Radif had already given the green light to join Al-Ahli earlier in the window. Then Al-Diriyah, newly promoted to the Roshn League and eager to make a statement, stormed into the race and came close to hijacking the move.

Al-Ahli held their ground. The club pushed through negotiations and ultimately saw off Al-Diriyah’s late intervention to secure a player they view as an important depth piece in a long season that will unfold without Jaissle on the touchline.

Radif’s exit from Al-Hilal had been sealed weeks earlier. On 7 July, the Riyadh giants confirmed his definitive departure, ending a five-year spell with the first team. It was a period defined by loans rather than continuity: Al-Taawoun, Al-Shabab, Al-Ettifaq and most recently Al-Feiha all took turns testing his potential.

The path to Al-Ahli was not linear either. Radif had previously agreed to join Al-Ittihad on a three-year deal worth 27 million riyals, at 9 million per season. The numbers were clear; the move looked set. Then the deal collapsed, with Al-Ittihad pulling out due to a lack of financial liquidity to complete the transfer.

So Radif heads to Jeddah instead, into a crowded but intriguing attacking unit. He is expected to start as Al-Ahli’s third-choice striker, behind England international Ivan Toney and Saudi forward Firas Al-Buraikan, and in competition with Brazilian Ricardo Matias. It is a demanding role: minutes will have to be earned, not handed out.

His most recent spell, at Al-Feiha in the second half of last season, underlined both the opportunity and the challenge ahead. Radif featured in only eight matches, failed to score, but did register two assists. The raw tools are there; the end product still needs sharpening.

For Al-Ahli, this is also about squad building on a broader scale. Radif becomes their sixth signing of the current summer window, following Gambian Aboubakar Sidi Kinte, Portuguese winger Francisco Trincao, Armenian playmaker Eduard Spertsyan and Saudi duo Meshaal Al-Mutairi and Nayef Masoud.

The coach who will knit all of that together is changing. The squad is not standing still. In that tension lies Al-Ahli’s season: can a young striker, finally settled after years of loans and a collapsed mega move, carve out a place in a frontline already packed with names and expectations?