Belaili’s Tunis switch talks leave MC Alger reeling after transfer about-turn

Youcef Belaili’s sudden move to reopen contract talks with Esperance Tunis has thrown MC Alger into turmoil, just days after the Algerian champions publicly announced a provisional agreement to sign the winger.

MC Alger, who had presented a deal in principle with the 34-year-old as virtually complete, now find themselves empty-handed and facing internal unrest, while Belaili has flown to Tunisia to negotiate a new contract with Esperance.

The Algiers club had confirmed on Saturday that they had reached an accord with the Algeria international, subject to a number of conditions. That appeared to put an end to Esperance’s hopes of keeping the player.

By Monday, however, the situation had dramatically shifted. Rather than finalising terms with MC Alger, Belaili travelled to Tunis to seek an extension with Esperance Tunis, the club many believed had definitively dropped out of the race.

Esperance move on medical and legal conditions

Behind the scenes, Esperance had never completely closed the door on Belaili’s future. Although the club had publicly stated that negotiations were over, discreet contacts are understood to have continued.

According to the same reports, Esperance agreed to two key demands from the player that MC Alger were unwilling to meet.

Firstly, the Tunisian side were prepared to sign Belaili without subjecting him to an in-depth medical examination. MC Alger had insisted on a thorough medical, a stance interpreted by the player as a sign of mistrust.

Secondly, Esperance were reportedly ready to conclude the deal without waiting for the outcome of a case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). A decision is due on 6 August regarding Belaili’s request to review his suspension until March 2027 in his dispute with AC Ajaccio.

MC Alger, seeking firmer medical and legal assurances, refused to relax their conditions, opening the door for Esperance to move back to the front of the queue.

Internal crisis at MC Alger

The collapse of the Belaili pursuit has sparked a serious internal crisis at MC Alger.

La Gazette du Fennec reports that Hakim Hadj Redjem, president of the club’s board of directors, is now considering stepping down in the wake of the episode. Any resignation talk should be treated cautiously, as he has previously threatened to leave his post without following through.

There is also uncertainty over the position of former Algeria defender Djamel Benlamri, who was recently appointed sporting manager at MC Alger. Involved directly in the talks with his former international team-mate, Benlamri is also said to be contemplating an exit.

The sense of embarrassment within MC Alger is particularly acute because the club had already gone public with news of their agreement in principle to sign Belaili, only to see him pivot back towards Tunisia.

A saga of missed medicals and mixed signals

Belaili’s apparent change of heart is all the more striking given that he had previously put Esperance in a difficult position earlier in the summer.

An agreement for a contract extension with Esperance until 2028 had already been reached, but the forward failed to attend the scheduled medical examination before returning to Algeria. In response, Esperance Tunis announced they were closing the file for good.

Now, only a few days later, Belaili is back in Tunis to try to seal that very extension, while MC Alger are left to deal with the fallout of a high-profile pursuit that has again collapsed at the final hurdle.

The latest twist reinforces Belaili’s reputation as one of Algerian football’s most unpredictable figures. With him, no agreement appears truly secure until the ink is dry on the contract – if even then.