Souffian El Karouani is being linked with a move from FC Utrecht to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, with the mooted transfer currently rated at a tentative 10% likelihood.
The 25-year-old left-back, who represents both Morocco and the Netherlands at national level, is the subject of early speculation after his market value climbed to €15m as of December 2025, according to data sourced from Transfermarkt. Hoffenheim are reported to be monitoring the defender as they assess options on the left side of their back line.
El Karouani remains under contract at Utrecht, but no public end date is listed, leaving open the possibility that his status could change and, in time, even move towards a free-agent scenario depending on future negotiations. For now, any switch to Germany’s top flight is firmly in the rumour category rather than an advanced deal.
Born in Den Bosch on 19 October 2000, El Karouani has developed steadily through Dutch football. He progressed from USV Elinkwijk’s youth ranks to NEC Nijmegen’s under-19s in 2017, before stepping up to NEC’s first team in 2019. A move within the Eredivisie followed in 2023 when he joined Utrecht, where he wears the number 16 shirt and operates primarily as a left-back, favouring his left foot.
His rise is reflected in a sharp increase in market value, from €50,000 at NEC in 2019 to seven-figure territory by 2022, and continuing upward after his switch to Utrecht. That trajectory has helped attract interest from abroad, with the Bundesliga a logical next step for a defender accustomed to Eredivisie football.
If a transfer to Hoffenheim does materialise, it would offer El Karouani a first taste of German football and a platform to test himself at a higher tempo, potentially reshaping his career path and elevating his reputation on the European stage.
