Algeria Football– Former Algerian international striker Hilal El Arbi Soudani could soon make his return to the Algerian championship, this time in the colors of JS Kabylie.
During the “Dz Best” gala, organized by the “DZ Match” site to reward the best players of last season’s Algerian championship, Ould Ali El Hadi, president of the board of directors of JS Kabylie, allegedly proposed to Soudani to join the ranks of the Canaries during the winter transfer window.
To reinforce this initiative, Hakim Medane, sporting director of the club, also contacted the 37-year-old striker, currently under contract with the Slovenian club Maribor. Medane encouraged Soudani to accept the offer and reunite with his former national team teammate, Ryad Boudebouz, who recently signed with JS Kabylie.
However, according to a well-informed source, Soudani remains hesitant despite the proposed financial benefits, which would surpass his current income in Slovenia. This hesitation could be linked to the nature of his commitment or to personal ambitions still anchored in European football.
Hilal Soudani left the Algerian championship in 2011 after six seasons at ASO Chlef. He then joined the Portuguese club Vitória Guimarães for two seasons, before shining under the colors of Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia (2013-2018), where he left a lasting imprint. Subsequently, he had a difficult spell at Nottingham Forest, due to a serious injury, then played at Olympiakos in Greece (2019-2021), before trying the Saudi experience with Al-Fateh and Damac . Since 2022, he has played at Maribor, where he is starting his second season.
On the side of JS Kabylie, the need to recruit a quality attacker is pressing. Besides Soudani, the club had explored other avenues, notably Bouzok, who finally chose the Saudi club Al-Raed, as well as Ryad Benayad, striker for Esperance de Tunis, who declined the offer.
If Soudani accepts this opportunity, it would mark a symbolic return for one of the most experienced and successful players of his generation, while providing a valuable option to JSK’s offensive line. It remains to be seen whether the club will be able to convince the veteran striker to take this step.
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