Laurent Blanc will be hoping to form a French connection with Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante after his appointment as Al-Ittihad head coach. (More Football News)
The Saudi Pro League champions🌃 confirmed the 58-year-old's arrival on Saturday, with Blanc signing a two-year contract and the club holding an option for a further year.
Forme💛r France in♏ternational Blanc was dismissed by Lyon in his last role, having stayed on for just under a year before his sacking came after losing three of four opening Ligue 1 matches in September 2023.
The fཧormer centre-back, who has also managed Paris Saint-Germain, is expected to make Houssem Aouar 𒐪the first signing of his reign.
Aouar impresse𓃲d for Lyon before earning a move to Roma, who are expected to part ways after just one season together following reports of a €12million💖 deal plus add-ons.
Midfielder Aouar played for France 🍬before switching allegiances to Algeria, and the Les Bleus connectio🐼n is said to have played a significant role in his move in tandem with Blanc's appointment.
Blanc also has fellow compatriots Benzema and Kante in his squad, as well as former Liverpool midfielder and Brazil inter🧜national Fabinho.
Al-Ittihad pipped Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title 🍒last season, winning the competition for the first time in 15 years.
