Elias Arar Fernandez has completed a move to Espérance Sportive de Tunis, with the club confirming the arrival of the 19-year-old defender on a four-and-a-half-year contract.
The Tunisian international, who has been plying his trade with Strasbourg’s reserve side, becomes the latest young talent to be secured by the capital club as it continues to shape its squad for the coming seasons.
The announcement, made on Tuesday evening, signals Espérance’s intention to invest in emerging players capable of developing within the club’s demanding competitive environment.
Although still at the early stages of his professional journey, Arar Fernandez has already built a reputation for maturity beyond his years.
His football education in France, particularly with Strasbourg’s B team, provided him with regular exposure to high-intensity training and competitive reserve-level football, widely regarded as a crucial bridge between academy development and first-team action.
Espérance officials believe the defender’s grounding in a European system will ease his transition into the Tunisian champions’ setup.
His signing on a long-term deal underlines the confidence placed in his potential to grow into a reliable option in defence over the next four and a half years.
The club’s statement was concise but telling, confirming both the length of the contract and the player’s status as a Tunisian international.
For supporters, the news represents another step in a strategy that blends domestic identity with overseas experience, an approach Espérance has often used to refresh its squad while maintaining a strong local core.
Arar Fernandez’s return to Tunisia comes at a pivotal moment in his career.
After leaving the country at a young age to continue his development abroad, he now faces the challenge of adapting to the expectations that come with wearing the colours of one of Africa’s most decorated clubs.
Training sessions in Strasbourg’s reserve environment would have exposed him to a modern, technically demanding style of play, but the atmosphere at Espérance — where every fixture carries weight — will test his mental strength as much as his footballing ability.
For a 19-year-old defender, securing a contract of this length is also a sign of trust from the technical staff.
It provides him with stability and the time required to integrate fully into the squad, learn from senior figures and gradually stake a claim for regular involvement.
The move is also likely to be viewed positively by those monitoring the progress of young Tunisian internationals.
Opportunities for defenders to combine European training methods with regular football at a leading African club are relatively rare, making this step a potentially defining one in Arar Fernandez’s development.
While Espérance have not revealed further details about his role or immediate plans, the clarity of the announcement suggests that the club see him as more than a short-term addition.
Instead, he arrives as part of a longer-term vision — a defender expected to mature within the club’s structures and, in time, contribute to its ambitions on both the domestic and continental stages.
For now, Elias Arar Fernandez begins a new chapter in Tunis, carrying with him the lessons of Strasbourg and the promise of a future built in the colours of Espérance Sportive de Tunis.
