Nice bring in Algeria Under-23 defender Abdelhak Ben Idder on five-year deal

Nice have completed the signing of 19-year-old Algeria Under-23 defender Abdelhak Ben Idder from Paradou, making him the French club’s seventh arrival of the summer transfer window.

Ben Idder has agreed a five-year contract after joining from the Algerian club. Nice confirmed the move on Tuesday, adding another young Algerian player to their squad shortly after announcing the arrival of Mohamed Amoura on loan from German club Wolfsburg.

The French club did not disclose the financial details of Ben Idder’s transfer. However, Foot Mercato reports that Nice paid about 300,000 euros for the central defender, with the club operating within limited financial resources.

Ben Idder enjoyed a strong season with Paradou before making the move to France. He played 25 matches in total, including 22 appearances in Algeria’s top division, according to Nice.

The club announced the signing with a post featuring the message: “Abdelhak Ben Idder arrive au Gym ⤵︎Le defenseur central de 19 ans arrive en provenance du Paradou. L’international espoirs algerien reste sur une saison solide, avec 25 matchs disputes, dont 22 en premiere division.⭢https://t.co/kag7DlV7rYpic.twitter.com/rPbCVoVTmO”

Ben Idder becomes the latest addition to a busy summer recruitment programme at Nice. The club’s other new signings are Gauthier Hein, Nathan Ngoumou, Laurent Abergel, Axel Witsel, Mohamed Amoura and Elye Wahi.

The deal follows Nice’s recent agreement to sign Amoura from Wolfsburg on loan. The Algeria international is therefore the second Algerian player to join the club during the current transfer period.

Nice’s decision to recruit Ben Idder represents another investment in a young defender who has already accumulated significant first-team experience in Algeria. At 19, he moves to a new league after a campaign in which he featured regularly for Paradou, with most of his appearances coming in the country’s first division.

His five-year contract underlines the club’s long-term commitment to the player, while the reported fee keeps the transfer within the financial limits referred to by Foot Mercato. The move also takes Nice’s total number of summer signings to seven.

Ben Idder will now begin the next stage of his career in France after progressing through Paradou and representing Algeria at Under-23 level. His arrival gives Nice another defensive option and continues the club’s recent focus on strengthening its squad through a combination of established players and younger recruits.