Stefan Cleary Joins Beveren on Loan from Al-Ittihad

Al-Ittihad have opened the door for Stefan Cleary to step out and grow.

On Tuesday evening, “The Dean” confirmed that the young forward will join Belgian side Beveren on loan until the end of the current season, a move designed to give him the stage and the minutes that have been hard to come by in Jeddah.

The club announced the deal through its official X account, confirming that Beveren’s request for a temporary transfer had been accepted. Cleary now swaps the gold and black of “The Tigers” for a test on Belgian soil, a very different environment but one with a clear purpose: play, learn, return sharper.

Al-Ittihad’s thinking is straightforward. They want Cleary on the pitch, not on the periphery. With fierce competition for attacking spots this season, regular starts were never guaranteed, so the club chose a path that keeps him active and under pressure in a new league.

Beveren will keep him until the campaign’s close, with an understanding that he will head back to Al-Ittihad when the season ends, unless fresh developments reshape his future in the coming months.

Before he left, the Al-Ittihad hierarchy sent him off with public backing, wishing him success and expressing hope that he comes back from Belgium more seasoned, more confident, and better equipped to fight for his place.

His departure is not an isolated move. It fits into a broader squad strategy at Al-Ittihad this year: new faces arriving, others heading out on loans to sharpen their game abroad, all while competition inside the dressing room intensifies.

So Stefan Cleary steps away from Al-Ittihad for now, bound for Beveren with the club’s blessing and a clear mission — turn potential into performance, and come back ready to stake a real claim.