Souffian El Karouani is being linked with a move from FC Utrecht to Benfica, with the Portuguese club reportedly monitoring the left-back’s situation in the Eredivisie.
The 25-year-old defender, valued at €12.00m, is the subject of transfer speculation involving the Liga Portugal side, according to data sourced from Transfermarkt. The current probability of a switch is listed only as “?”, underlining that talks, if any, have not yet advanced to a clear stage and no agreement has been reported.
El Karouani is currently on the books at Utrecht, where he wears the number 16 shirt and operates primarily as a left-back. There is no publicly listed contract expiry date in the available data, leaving open the theoretical possibility that his status could change in future windows, including the scenario of him moving closer to free-agent territory if an extension is not secured.
Born in Den Bosch on 19 October 2000, El Karouani holds both Moroccan and Dutch nationality. He came through the youth ranks at USV Elinkwijk before moving to NEC Nijmegen’s under-19 side in 2017. A promotion to NEC’s first team followed in 2019, and he later made the step up to Utrecht in 2023, remaining in the Dutch Eredivisie throughout his senior career so far.
His market value has surged markedly in recent seasons. From a valuation of €50,000 at NEC in 2019, it climbed steadily to €1.4m by early 2023. Since joining Utrecht, that figure has continued to rise, reaching €3.5m in October 2024 and then accelerating to €12.00m by October 2025, reflecting his growing importance and consistency at left-back.
Should Benfica decide to act on their reported interest, a move to Portugal’s top flight could offer El Karouani a significant platform to enhance his profile in European competition and shape the next decisive phase of his career.
