Sofiane Boufal talks with Al-Ittihad reach advanced stage

Morocco international Sofiane Boufal is in advanced negotiations with Libyan club Al-Ittihad over a move that would take him into African club football for the first time.

The 31-year-old winger is understood to be close to joining Al-Ittihad, with only a number of final details still to be settled before the transfer can be completed and officially announced.

The report was carried by Moroccan outlet Radio Mars, which said discussions between Boufal and the Libyan club had progressed significantly. No formal confirmation of the agreement has yet been issued, but the negotiations are believed to have reached their final stages.

Al-Ittihad have also appeared to offer a strong indication that a deal is nearing completion. The club published a teaser on its official social media accounts featuring the logo of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.

That message appeared to point towards an imminent signing involving a Moroccan player, with Boufal widely understood to be the focus of the announcement.

A move to Al-Ittihad would represent a major change in direction for Boufal, who has spent most of his professional career in Europe. The Morocco international has played for clubs in France, England and Spain, establishing a reputation for his technical quality and his ability to operate in more than one attacking position.

His career has included a series of spells across European football, where his dribbling ability and creativity have made him an influential attacking player. He also spent time in the Gulf, representing Qatari club Al-Rayyan before returning to France.

Boufal joined Le Havre last season and made 17 appearances for the French side. That period followed his experience in Qatar and marked another chapter in a career that has taken him through several different footballing environments.

If the transfer is completed, Al-Ittihad will become the latest club in Boufal’s career and the first African club he has represented at senior level. The move would see him leave behind a playing history largely built in Europe and begin a new phase in Libya.

For Al-Ittihad, the prospective signing would bring the experience of a player who has competed in several European leagues and featured for Morocco at international level. For Boufal, it would provide an opportunity to continue his career in a new setting after his most recent season with Le Havre.

The final terms of the agreement are still to be concluded, according to Radio Mars, and the transfer remains subject to an official announcement. However, the progress of the negotiations, combined with Al-Ittihad’s social media teaser, suggests that Boufal’s move to the Libyan club could be confirmed soon.