Abdelnour Soualhia emerges as one of the Eredivisie’s defenders to watch

Abdelnour Soualhia is emerging as one of the players to watch in the Eredivisie after making an impressive start to his loan spell with Telstar from AZ Alkmaar.

The 25-year-old French-Algerian defender has quickly caught the attention of observers in the Netherlands, producing mature performances during his first two appearances in the Dutch top flight.

Soualhia joined Telstar on a season-long loan after signing a two-year contract with AZ Alkmaar, which also includes an option for an additional year.

Standing at 1.94m and naturally left-footed, the central defender has followed a steady route through the lower levels of French football before reaching the Eredivisie.

His football journey began in 2017 in Angoulême, where he was born. He subsequently continued his development with Limoges and Trélissac before starting his senior career with UA Cognac in National 3 in 2021.

Two years later, he moved to Avoine OCC and played a role in the club’s promotion to National 2.

Soualhia then joined Le Puy Foot 43 in the summer of 2024. During the 2025-26 season, he became a regular in the National league, making 23 appearances and scoring twice.

After being set to become a free agent in the summer of 2026, he secured his move to AZ Alkmaar. The Dutch club immediately sent him to Telstar on loan to help him adjust to a different style of football.

The defender has already made an encouraging start to life in the Netherlands. Across his first two Eredivisie appearances, he has helped provide defensive stability while also contributing one goal and one assist.

His emergence could also make him a player worth monitoring in Algeria as the national team prepares for a new chapter with the arrival of a new coach.

Soualhia’s combination of physical strength and his ability to operate from the left side of central defence could offer another option in the position, including providing cover for Ramy Bensebaïni.

The defender says his approach to the game is built around more than simply stopping opponents.

“I have essential physical qualities for my position, but I really enjoy playing football and beautiful football. It has always been in my nature, since I was very young, not to just get rid of the ball, but to try to play out from the back cleanly, to take my time and find the best solutions. These are things I have continued to work on and which are now among my greatest strengths.”

Soualhia also explained what attracted AZ Alkmaar to his profile.

“They talked to me about my qualities in duels, both in the air and on the ground, but we also talked a lot about my distribution. I think the complete nature of my profile greatly interested them.”

AZ technical director Niels van Duinen is also keen to see how the defender develops in Dutch football.

“He is a player with good physical qualities, and we are eager to see how he will adapt to Dutch football. We will follow his progress with great interest, particularly to see if he can, in the long term, bring added value to AZ,” said Niels van Duinen (AZ technical director).

With his performances already attracting attention, Soualhia has quickly become one of the new faces worth following during the 2026-27 Eredivisie season.