Billal Brahimi has completed a move from Santos FC to CF Estrela Amadora on a loan deal, taking the Algerian-French right winger from Brazil’s Série A to Liga Portugal. The temporary switch is confirmed as a loan transfer starting on 2026-02-02, with the contract set to run until 2026-06-30, after which he is due to return to the Brazilian club.
The deal sees Estrela Amadora acquire a 25-year-old attacker valued at €1.50m, according to the latest market valuation during his spell at Santos. No permanent fee has been disclosed in the data, underlining that this is strictly a loan agreement rather than a full transfer. At the end of the loan, Brahimi is scheduled to go back to Santos, at which point his future beyond that date could again be open for negotiation.
For Santos, the move marks the latest chapter in a short but notable association with the winger. Brahimi joined the Brazilian side from free-agent status on a standard transfer, following his departure from OGC Nice. Now, after a period in which he represented Santos in Brazil’s top flight, the club has opted to loan him out to Portugal, potentially to gain more game time and exposure in European competition.
Estrela Amadora, competing in Liga Portugal, add a player whose career path already includes several notable European stops. Born in Paris and holding both Algerian and French nationality, Brahimi developed in youth systems across France, Portugal and England, featuring for Cergy Pontoise, AS Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, Leixões SC’s U17s, and Middlesbrough’s U18 and U21 teams. His senior career has taken him through Stade Reims B, Stade Reims, Le Mans (on loan), Angers SCO, OGC Nice, Stade Brestois 29 and Sint-Truidense VV before reaching Santos.
Brahimi’s trajectory shows repeated exposure to top-flight football in France’s Ligue 1 and Belgium’s Pro League, as well as loan spells designed to accelerate his development. At Nice he experienced fluctuating market value, peaking around €7m during his time on the Côte d’Azur before gradually declining through successive loans to Brest and Sint-Truidense. His move to Santos coincided with a further adjustment in his valuation to €1.50m, reflecting both his experience and the need to re-establish himself as a regular starter.
On the pitch, Brahimi is primarily deployed as an attacking right winger and prefers his left foot, a profile that suits inverted-winger roles cutting inside from the flank. Standing at 1.83m, he offers a blend of physical presence and technical skill on the wing, attributes Estrela Amadora will look to harness in Portugal’s top division.
The loan to Estrela Amadora also reinforces a career-long pattern of cross-border moves. Having already played in France, Belgium, England, Portugal and Brazil, Brahimi continues to build a résumé defined by adaptability to different leagues and styles. With the agreement clearly framed as a loan lasting from 2026-02-02 to 2026-06-30, both club and player now enter a key period that could influence his longer-term prospects, including the possibility of further transfers once he returns to Santos.
