Younes Benali has completed a loan move from NK Tabor Sežana to fellow Slovenian side NK Brinje Grosuplje, joining the Druga Liga club on a temporary deal starting 2026-02-10 and running until 2026-06-30. The defensive midfielder, who holds both Algerian and French nationality, arrives as part of an intra-league switch that will see him spend the remainder of the campaign in Grosuplje before returning to Tabor Sežana at the end of the loan.
The transfer is officially registered as a loan transfer, with no permanent fee agreed and no market value listed for the 19-year-old at the time of the move. Benali remains contracted to Tabor Sežana and is scheduled to go back to the club when the loan expires on 2026-06-30, meaning there is no immediate prospect of him becoming a free agent under the current agreement.
Benali’s move keeps him in Slovenia’s Druga Liga but represents a significant change in environment. After stepping up from NK Tabor Sežana U19 to the senior Tabor Sežana squad, he now switches to Brinje in search of more first-team exposure at professional level. Both clubs compete in the same division, ensuring the teenager continues in a familiar competitive context while adapting to a new tactical setup and dressing room.
The French-born midfielder, listed primarily as a defensive midfielder, has built his early career through youth systems in France and Slovenia. He progressed from FC Nantes U17 to FC Nantes U19 before leaving the French club and spending a short period without a team. In early 2024 he resurfaced at NK Tabor Sežana U19, then earned promotion to Tabor Sežana’s first team ahead of the 25/26 season. That pathway has now led to this first senior loan at Brinje.
No official statistics, recent match performances, or appearance totals are provided in the available data, and there are no recorded goals or assists to further quantify his impact so far at senior level. Likewise, there is no indication of international caps at youth or senior level for either Algeria or France, despite his dual nationality.
From a broader perspective, the transfer reinforces Benali’s status as a young player pursuing his development away from his home countries. Rather than emerging in the Algerian or French domestic systems, he is continuing his professional journey in Slovenia’s second tier, where competition for midfield roles and opportunities for regular minutes can be decisive for a 19-year-old’s growth.
While there are no details on salary, purchase options, or performance clauses, the structure of the move is straightforward: a short-term loan, a set return date, and continued ownership by Tabor Sežana. With the contractually defined end of the loan already fixed for 2026-06-30, Benali’s task is clear—use this spell at Brinje Grosuplje to stake a stronger claim for a place back at Tabor Sežana or to position himself for future moves within or beyond Slovenia once his current club commitments evolve.
