As he gets ready to travel to Jeddah on Saturday, Malgrat local Unai Hernández, who recently signed with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, begins an exciting new chapter in his life. Just a week ago, the midfielder, who is considered by many to be among the best players coming out of La Masia and the best player for Barça Atlètic this season, made a surprise move that cost Barcelona about five million euros.
Unai is only 20 years old and has signed a three-year contract with two more years optionally, setting him up for this exciting adventure in the Middle East. As Saudi Arabia moves away from its previous reputation as a destination for aged players nearing the conclusion of their careers, this decision highlights the country’s growing commitment to developing new talent. Girona stands to gain from Unai’s exit as well because they will keep a portion of any future sales, which may bring them about 500,000 euros.
Barcelona have no buyback clause in Unai Hernandez’s deal with Al-Ittihad
Unai Hernandez was sold by Barcelona to Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia for €4.5 million, with an extra €500,000 in possible add-ons. The agreement does not contain any future transfer rights or a buyback clause from Barcelona. Hernandez’s future is therefore out of the club’s control, SPORT reports. After progressing through Barcelona’s development system, Hernandez departs without securing a consistent starting position in the first squad. His career takes a fresh turn with his move to Al-Ittihad.
The Catalan team has, according to reports, chosen not to sign any such contracts with Hernandez. Unai acknowledged the difficulties he would encounter in realizing his goal of making his debut and securing his spot in the first squad, despite his lifelong loyalty to Barça. Since his contract was about to expire on June 30th and Barcelona had not extended it, he made the decision to join Al-Ittihad.
