Genoa have completed the signing of Albania international left-back Mario Mitaj from Al-Ittihad, with the Serie A club announcing the deal on Friday 31 July.
The defender, who turns 23 this week, joins on a season-long loan with an option to buy. According to Sky Sport Italia, Genoa will pay €2m for the loan and can make the move permanent at the end of the campaign for a further €4.5m, taking the total value of the agreement to €6.5m.
Mitaj arrived in the city on the day of the announcement, completed his medical in the afternoon and signed his contract in the evening. He has been handed the No. 2 shirt for the coming season.
"Arriving at a club like Genoa and in Serie A was an objective for me," Mitaj told the club's official channels. "I am highly motivated to show what I can do."
Genoa chief of football Diego Lopez explained why the club pushed hard for the defender: "Mario is a player who combines two important characteristics — technical quality to build out from the back, and the mental solidity required to play for Genoa."
Despite his age, Mitaj already has 32 senior caps for Albania. He joined Al-Ittihad from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2024, and had also attracted interest from Roma in Serie A, with AEK Athens — his old club — exploring a potential return. In the end, Genoa secured his signature.
The Grifone have moved early to strengthen their back line ahead of the new Serie A season, with the Albanian expected to compete for a starting spot on the left flank. The loan-plus-option structure also lets the club assess the player before committing to a permanent transfer, spreading the outlay across two windows.
Sources
- Football Italia — Official: Genoa sign Mitaj from Al-Ittihad in agreement worth up to €6.5m: https://football-italia.net/official-genoa-sign-mitaj-from-al-ittihad-6-5m/
- Genoa CFC — Mario Mitaj è un giocatore del Genoa: https://genoacfc.it/2026/07/31/mario-mitaj-e-un-nuovo-giocatore-del-genoa/
