Doha, July 18 (QNA) - Al-Gharafa Sports Club announced the renewal of Icelandic midfielder Aron Gunnarsson's contract for an additional year, keeping him with the club's first football team until the end of the 2025-26 season.

The club published a tweet on its official Twitter account, accompanied by a video, confirming the player's continued presence with the team to face the challenge of the new season.

Gunnarsson joined Al-Gharafa at the beginning of the last 2024-25 season, coming from Al-Arabi SC. He did not participate in the local league, but rather limited his appearance at the beginning of the season to participating in the AFC Champions League, appearing in six of eight matches. He then participated in the 2025 Amir Cup at the end of the season, appearing in four matches, helping the team win the title, which secured Al-Gharafa a direct berth in the next edition of the AFC Champions League 2025-26.

Gunnarsson is the third professional to have his contract renewed, following the extension of contracts for Algerian Yacine Brahimi and Tunisian Ferjani Sassi, both of whom will play for the team until the end of the 2025-26 season.

Relatedly, Al-Gharafa signed Jamaican defender Mason Holgate for two seasons from Everton, in a significant deal that will bolster the team's defensive line for the new season.

Al Gharafa, who finished third in the last season's Qatar League, began a training camp in Slovakia yesterday, Thursday, which will continue until August 4.

During the camp, Al Gharafa will play four friendly matches against Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia, Sharjah of the UAE, Crystal Palace of England, and a local Slovakian club. The technical staff he to reach full readiness before facing Umm Salal on August 15, the start of the new season. (QNA)