Mid‑2027 contract cut: FC Groningen’s Kelder heads to Saudi Al‑Fateh

The mid‑2027 expiry of Robin Kelder’s professional contract was triggered early this afternoon, as FC Groningen confirmed the 21‑year‑old defender’s sale to a club from the Midden‑Oosten. Vandaag om 16:25 the club announced the move but, at the request of the buying side, De Trots van het Noorden has not yet disclosed the exact destination, although rumours surfaced earlier this summer.

Kelder will continue his career in Saoedi‑Arabie, most likely with Al‑Fateh, a team that finished eleventh in the national competition last season. The link to Al‑Fateh is striking, yet understandable given Kelder’s profile and the club’s recent league position.

Dat Al‑Fateh is the probable destination matters because Kelder had not yet made his debut for the FC Groningen first eleven. The defender had been waiting for his breakthrough when the transfer materialised.

Born on 22 March 2005 in Saoedi‑Arabie, Kelder’s father worked in Dharaan before the family relocated to Assen. It was in Assen that Kelder began playing football and, at the age of eleven, entered the youth academy of FC Groningen.

In December he signed his first professional contract with the club, a deal that was set to run until mid‑2027. That contract has now been bought out, freeing the player to move abroad.

Kelder holds both Dutch and Saudi nationality, a dual status that makes him especially attractive to Al‑Fateh, as Saudi Pro League clubs are limited in the number of foreign players they may register. The transfer therefore illustrates the growing market value of players with local eligibility in the Saudi league.

Overall, the early termination of Kelder’s contract underscores how Middle‑East clubs are leveraging dual‑nationality talent to navigate foreign‑player quotas while strengthening their squads.