Nice target teenage Paradou defender Abdelhak Ben Idder after Mohamed Amoura deal

OGC Nice are working to complete the signing of 19-year-old Abdelhak Ben Idder from Paradou AC, less than 48 hours after confirming the arrival of Algeria international Mohamed Amoura from Wolfsburg.

Amoura joined Nice on loan on Monday, with the deal understood to include an option to buy worth about 20m euros. The French club are now attempting to add another Algerian player before the transfer window closes at 19:59 on Tuesday.

Ben Idder, a central defender born in El-Harrach on 10 November 2006, made his breakthrough at professional level during the previous season. Although Paradou AC endured a disastrous campaign and were eventually relegated to Ligue 2, the teenager established himself in their defence and made around 20 appearances.

His performances have attracted interest from European scouts over the past several months. Ben Idder is regarded as a strong competitor in duels and has impressed with his anticipation. Those qualities also earned him a place in the Algeria Under-23 squad coached by Rafik Saifi, following his involvement with the country’s younger age-group teams.

He was not part of the Algeria Under-21 side that won the Mediterranean Games title in Taranto on Sunday, beating Tunisia in the final.

According to journalist Nabil Djellit, Ben Idder has already agreed personal terms with Nice. The main difficulty is now administrative, with the club needing to complete the visa process before the transfer deadline.

Several Algerian sources have also reported an agreement between Paradou AC and Nice. Palladian has suggested the fee could be close to 1m euros, with Paradou due to receive 30% of any future sale. Those figures have not been officially confirmed.

Nice have a recent history of recruiting directly from Paradou. In 2019, they signed midfielder Hicham Boudaoui from the Algerian club when he was also 19, in a transfer worth approximately 4m euros. Boudaoui has since become an established Algeria international.

The move would continue an increasingly prominent pathway from Paradou AC to Ligue 1. Yacine Titraoui, another player developed by the club, joined Lens this summer after spending two seasons at Charleroi. The transfer was worth about 8m euros, and his early performances quickly offered an indication of why Lens had chosen to invest in the former Paradou midfielder.

Ben Idder could become the latest young player from the club to make the move to France. Paradou, who were relegated in the spring, have been particularly active in the transfer market this summer. Ben Ahmed Kohili and Islam Abdelkader have joined MC Alger, while Mohamed Amine Ramdaoui has moved to USM Alger.

Those departures have already generated significant income for Paradou, and the club could continue reducing its squad by selling one of its remaining young players with substantial potential market value.

For Nice, the proposed signing would represent a different kind of investment from the move for Amoura. Rather than bringing in an established attacking player on loan, the club would be taking a chance on a developing defender who has already shown an ability to handle responsibility despite his age.

If the necessary administrative work is completed in time, Ben Idder will join Ligue 1 as a promising but unpolished centre-back. His strength in challenges and reading of the game have impressed in Algeria, but he would still need to prove those qualities at a significantly higher level.