Rabat – The big surprise of Hakim Ziyech moving to Wydad AC in Morocco left everyone in the football world scratching their heads. The question now being asked: will another Atlas Lion — perhaps Sofiane Boufal — follow him to Casablanca?
While there are whispers that WAC are interested, nothing is yet confirmed and Boufal’s situation in Belgium right now makes a transfer far from being a done deal.
Hakim Ziyech arrived at Wydad in late October 2025 marking a brand new era for the club.
The former Chelsea and Galatasaray star came back home to spearhead an ambitious plan to get Wydad back to the top of African football. The excitement from his arrival sparked a buzz among fans and put Moroccan football on the global map.
Is Boufal next?
Rumor has it, according to multiple sources in Morocco and Belgium, that WAC are looking to bring in Sofiane Boufal. The Moroccan left winger who is currently contracted with Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, could join with Ziyech in Casablanca.
If this deal happens, two of the most creative attacking talents in Morocco’s 2022 World Cup squad could be reunited — the kind of duos that would make the Botola.
From a stats point of view, Boufal’s numbers are a bit all over the place. This season in the Belgian Pro League, he has played just six games for Union Saint-Gilloise so far — with a single assist and zero goals. On the other hand, he’s averaging 3.6 key passes and a respectable 0.63 expected assists per 90 minutes.
But the thing is, he’s only spent 127 minutes on the pitch in eight games, and is not even a regular starter yet. The quick and structured approach that Union Saint-Gilloise used doesn’t really give him the freedom to play his natural game. Joining up with Ziyech at Wydad might just give him the space he needs to get his game going again.
But at the moment, it’s all just speculation. There’s no official word from WAC, Union Saint-Gilloise or BoufaFs camp. Boufal is contracted to Union Saint-Gilloise until June 2026 making any transfer a bit of a complex and expensive affair.
His salary demands and injury history are also major factors to consider.
If WAC are serious, then talks could happen during the winter transfer window but at the moment, it’s just a rumour — purely dependent on how willing Union Saint-Gilloise and Boufal are to make a deal happen.
But without any actual talks or official confirmation going on, the rumor simply remains.
