Souffian El Karouani’s Al Qadsiah future in doubt amid foreign-player squeeze

Souffian El Karouani could leave Al Qadsiah before making his official debut for the Saudi Pro League club, with the arrival of Tijjani Reijnders increasing competition for places among its overseas players.

The Morocco international joined Al Qadsiah this summer after leaving FC Utrecht as a free agent. He had previously been linked with a move to Russia, among other possible destinations, but FC Utrecht were unwilling to negotiate a transfer.

El Karouani subsequently agreed a three-year contract with Al Qadsiah, which is due to run until the middle of 2029. However, his first months in Saudi Arabia have not developed as expected and there is already uncertainty over whether he will remain at the club.

The 25-year-old left-back has yet to make an official appearance for Al Qadsiah and was not included in the squad for either of the club’s opening two league matches this season. He has played once since arriving, making an unofficial appearance in a friendly.

Reijnders’ move to Al Qadsiah has added to the club’s registration problem. The former AC Milan midfielder recently joined the Saudi side, taking the number of foreign players under contract to 18.

Saudi Pro League clubs are permitted to register only eight overseas players aged over 23. At Al Qadsiah, that figure currently stands at 11, meaning the club has more senior foreign players than it can register under the competition’s rules.

Among the other overseas players contracted to Al Qadsiah are Julian Quinones, Mateo Retegui, Otavio, Julian Weigl, Nacho Fernandez and Koen Casteels. The size of the squad has left El Karouani facing a difficult route into the team before he has been able to establish himself.

Despite his lack of competitive action, Transfermarkt continues to value the Morocco defender at about 15m euros. His contract length and market valuation mean a departure could offer Al Qadsiah a way to ease the pressure created by its foreign-player numbers.

If El Karouani cannot secure sufficient playing time, a move away may become an option again. A possible departure has been reported by De Telegraaf, with the player’s failure to feature in the opening league fixtures adding to speculation over his immediate future.

For now, El Karouani remains an Al Qadsiah player and is contracted until mid-2029. But with Reijnders now part of the squad and the club already exceeding its permitted number of senior foreign players, the Morocco international’s first official appearance may come for another team rather than the Saudi side he joined this summer.