Yassir Ez-Zouhairi set for Racing Santander loan switch from Rennes

Morocco Under-20 World Cup winner Yassir Ez-Zouhairi has agreed to join Racing Santander on loan from Stade Rennais, according to French outlet Foot Mercato.

The report says the Spanish club are now working with Rennes to finalise the remaining details of the deal, which is expected to be a temporary move rather than a permanent transfer.

Ez-Zouhairi, 20, only joined Rennes in the January window from Portuguese side Famalicao but has struggled to secure regular game time in Ligue 1.

Limited impact at Rennes

Since arriving in France, the forward has been used sparingly, making just six appearances for Rennes, all of them coming off the bench. Across those games he has accumulated only 42 minutes of action.

Despite that limited involvement, Rennes committed to Ez-Zouhairi on a long-term basis when he signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the club.

The French side did not disclose the fee paid to bring him in from Portugal, but multiple reports at the time indicated that Rennes had invested €10m excluding add-ons to secure his services.

Racing Santander are now looking to capitalise on his lack of minutes in France by offering him the chance of more regular football in Spain.

World stage breakthrough

Ez-Zouhairi’s reputation was significantly enhanced on the international stage when he helped Morocco win the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

He played a leading role in that tournament triumph and finished as top scorer, underlining his status as one of the most promising young Moroccan forwards of his generation.

That form accelerated his move to Europe and attracted interest from several clubs before he first left Morocco.

Path from Morocco to Europe

Ez-Zouhairi initially moved to Famalicao in the summer of 2024 from Moroccan club Union Touarga.

During his time in Portugal he featured in 20 matches for Famalicao, scoring seven goals and earning a reputation as an efficient finisher in the final third.

Those performances prompted Rennes to move for him in the following winter window, but his adaptation to French football has been slower than anticipated, opening the door for a proposed switch to Spain.

The potential loan to Racing Santander is viewed as an opportunity for Ez-Zouhairi to gain consistent minutes at senior level while remaining under contract with Rennes, who will continue to monitor his development as talks between the two clubs progress.