Rios signs for Al-Ittihad ahead of blockbuster Al-Nassr clash

Al-Ittihad have announced the signing of Colombian midfielder Richard Rios on loan from Benfica for the season, in a deal valued at 4 million according to Transfermarkt. The arrival bolsters a midfield that has been weakened by the departures of N'Golo Kante and Fabinho this year. Kante departed for Fenerbahce in January, followed by Fabinho's exit in the summer. With Mahamadou Doumbia having torn his ACL before the end of last season, the Al-Ittihad midfield has been stretched. Dion Lopy joined Al-Ittihad earlier this summer from Almeria, alongside former Al-Ettifaq midfielder Mukhtar Ali, but head coach Jens Wissing had been searching for a box-to-box presence – something Rios can provide. The Colombian international is expected to arrive in Jeddah on Thursday, with the hope that he will be ready to feature in a blockbuster clash against Al-Nassr at the Al-Inma Stadium on Saturday, Matchday 4 of the Saudi Pro League. This is Rios' first spell in Asia. He began his senior career at Flamengo in Brazil before joining Mazatlan on loan in Mexico for the 2021/22 season, then moved back to Brazil with Guarani, followed by a two-year stint at Palmeiras – where he caught Benfica's eye at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup – before completing the move to the Portuguese club shortly after the competition ended. Al-Ittihad remain on the lookout for another foreign player to add depth after Moussa Diaby left for Leverkusen, with Arriyadiyah reporting on Wednesday that the Tigers have reached an agreement with Feyenoord for the signing of Anis Hadj Moussa.