Special sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Al-Ettifaq club faces the risk of not obtaining the financial efficiency certificate for the summer transfer window, after failing to obtain the winter efficiency during the past season, which puts the club in front of major challenges before the start of the new season.

According to the same sources, Al-Ettifaq's management has not issued any official comment on the financial situation, but the presence of several new signings in the first team camp, led by Abdulaziz Al-Bishi and Kosovar Bersant Celina, without official announcement, reflects the scale of the crisis the club is currently going through.

The sources indicated that Al-Ettifaq needs liquidity estimated at about 20 million riyals to meet the financial efficiency requirements, at a time when the management aims to sign 3 to 4 foreign players during the summer transfer window.

The sources added that the club also faces an obstacle represented by the league association's refusal to approve the financial evaluation of the deals for Swede Larsson and Kosovar Bersant Celina, similar to what happened with the deal for Moroccan Mohamed Hrimat who signed with Qatari club Al-Shamal, which could expose those signings to the risk of incompletion if the crisis continues.

Al-Ettifaq is one of the most prominent clubs offered for privatization under the private offering system, but it entered a real financial crisis since the end of the era of English coach Steven Gerrard with the team in January 2025.

If the failure to obtain the financial efficiency continues, Al-Ettifaq may face the same scenario experienced by Al-Shabab and Al-Fateh in the past season, through weak technical options and impact on the team squad, which may push it to enter a relegation battle, especially with the expected pressure of participation, as the club prepares to participate in the Gulf Clubs Championship.