Tunisian defensive midfielder Mohamed Belhadj Mahmoud is reportedly being lined up for a move from Swiss side FC Lugano to Esperance Tunis, with the 26-year-old Sousse-born player strongly linked to a return to his home country’s top flight.
Data from Transfermarkt indicates the deal is still at rumour stage but rated at an 87% probability, with Esperance targeting the right-footed holding midfielder ahead of the new Ligue 1 campaign. Belhadj Mahmoud, who wears number 29 at Lugano, currently has no publicly listed contract expiry date with the Super League club, fuelling suggestions he could yet move as a free agent should his situation in Switzerland remain unresolved.
Valued at €2.00m, the 1.79m midfielder has built his reputation as a defensive screen in central areas, operating primarily as a classic number six. Born on 24 April 2000 in Sousse and holding Tunisian nationality, he has been part of the Lugano set-up in the Swiss Super League, a competition that has given him exposure to a higher tempo and a more tactical brand of football than in Tunisia’s Ligue 1.
Recent performances for Lugano have maintained his profile, with the Super League campaign continuing to showcase his positional discipline and ball-winning ability. His latest outing, recorded in the current season’s data, came in a tightly contested league fixture for the Swiss side, where he featured in his customary defensive midfield role as Lugano sought to consolidate their standing in the table.
Esperance’s interest is understood to be framed around his market valuation, with a fee or a potential free transfer both seen as possible pathways depending on how his contractual status is clarified in the coming weeks. A move back to Tunisia’s top division would offer Belhadj Mahmoud the chance to become a central figure at one of North Africa’s most prominent clubs, a step that could reshape his career trajectory and enhance his reputation on the continental stage if the transfer goes through.
