Soufiane Bouftini: Morocco defender leaves Al-Wasl to become free agent after contract expiry

Moroccan centre-back Soufiane Bouftini has completed his departure from Al-Wasl and is now officially without a club, with his contract ending on 2026-07-01 and no new deal agreed beyond that date.

The 32-year-old defender, valued at €1.30m, has moved from the UAE Pro League side Al-Wasl into free agency, registering “Without Club” as his new status from 2026-07-01 to the end of his current unemployed spell. The move confirms his exit from top-flight football in the United Arab Emirates and places him on the open market for potential suitors at home and abroad.

Bouftini’s change of status underlines a significant turning point in the career of the Casablanca-born defender, whose main position is centre-back and who stands at 1.91m. A right-footed specialist in the heart of defence, he now faces a period of uncertainty but also opportunity, with no transfer fee involved in his switch away from Al-Wasl and his freedom of contract potentially making him an attractive short-term or medium-term option for clubs seeking an experienced defensive presence.

Having been registered most recently in the UAE Pro League, Bouftini’s exit from Al-Wasl closes his latest chapter outside Morocco’s domestic scene. While his next destination is not yet defined in the available data, his status as a free agent means he is eligible to sign in a variety of markets, and any new deal would mark another step in a career that has already taken him beyond his home country’s borders.

Born on 03 May 1994 in Casablanca, Bouftini has built his profile as a Moroccan defender with international club experience but currently has no active national-team or club registration beyond his “Without Club” designation. His social media presence, including a listed Facebook profile, suggests he maintains a public connection with fans even as he navigates life between contracts.

The absence of a transfer fee in his departure from Al-Wasl, combined with his €1.30m market valuation, underlines the paradox facing many players in their thirties: a recognised market value but a need to secure the right sporting project at the right time. For Bouftini, the coming months will be decisive in determining whether he returns to a familiar environment or continues his journey abroad following his spell in the UAE Pro League.

As he evaluates his options from his current free-agent status, the experienced centre-back enters a pivotal phase of his career, with his next contract likely to shape the remaining peak years of his professional life and further define his reputation as a Moroccan defender with cross-border experience.