Hull City are on the verge of completing the signing of Moroccan youngster Reda Laalaoui, in what would be a landmark transfer for both the Championship side and Moroccan football.
The 20-year-old midfielder, currently plying his trade at FUS Rabat and featuring for Morocco’s U20 national side, is expected to put pen to paper in the coming days.
Reports suggest the Tigers have fended off interest from clubs in Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands to secure his signature.
Should the deal go through, Laalaoui would become the first player to make a direct switch from Morocco’s league to English football in over two decades. The last to do so was Youssef Safri, who swapped Raja Casablanca for Coventry City in 2002.
In Botola Pro, Laalaoui has featured in 23 games for FUS Rabat this season, scoring four goals and providing three assists.
Laalaoui is now on international duty with Morocco’s U20s at the AFCON in Egypt. He found the net in a 3-2 win over Kenya, started in the goalless draw with Nigeria, and was given a breather in the final group game against Tunisia.
He then played the full 120 minutes in Morocco’s hard-fought quarter-final victory over Sierra Leone. The win sends them into the semi-finals against hosts Egypt, and with it, a ticket to the U20 World Cup in Chile.
