Sami Tlemcani: Morocco-France goalkeeper linked with JS Kabylie move

Morocco-France goalkeeper Sami Tlemcani, currently without a club, is being linked with a move to Algerian side JS Kabylie in Ligue 1 as the 21-year-old searches for the next step in his career. The former Chelsea youth player has been a free agent since leaving AEK Athens B this summer and is understood to be attracting interest from the historic North African club.

Tlemcani, born in Saint-Maurice in July 2004 and standing at 1.95m, left AEK Athens B on 1 July 2025 after two seasons in Greece, having joined from Chelsea’s under-21s. His potential switch to JS Kabylie would mark his first move into senior top-flight football after a development pathway that has so far run through academy and reserve sides in France, England and Greece.

The goalkeeper moved to Chelsea’s under-18s from Paris FC’s under-17s in October 2020 for a reported €1.8 million fee, a deal that underlined the regard in which he was held as a teenager. He later progressed to Chelsea’s under-21s before heading to Athens in 2023 on a free transfer, seeking more regular competitive opportunities.

Tlemcani has represented both Moroccan and French nationality and is right-footed, but his immediate priority is resolving his club future after becoming a free agent. With his highest recorded market valuation listed at €75,000, a deal for JS Kabylie would be expected to be relatively low-risk for the Algerian outfit as they assess options in the goalkeeping department.

For now, Tlemcani remains unattached following the expiry of his stint with AEK Athens B, leaving him free to negotiate directly with interested clubs.