The future of Souffian El Karouani at FC Utrecht remains uncertain. The Moroccan left-back has attracted interest from several foreign clubs, including Spartak Moscow, while Olympique de Marseille and FC Porto are also reportedly monitoring his situation closely.
Speaking on ESPN’s Tekengeld show, Daniël Man did not hide his enthusiasm regarding the Portuguese and French options:
“These are two fantastic clubs, with two fantastic coaches in charge. So Marseille and FC Porto seem to me like two clubs where you would definitely want to play.”
As for the Russian option, it seems very real. According to Man:
“We checked with his agent and it’s true. FC Utrecht is asking for six million for El Karouani, while Spartak is looking to offer between 4 and 5 million. So there’s still a gap.”
The player’s intentions, however, remain unclear. After the latest Eredivisie match, El Karouani declined to comment on his future, leaving his plans uncertain.
For his part, analyst Sjors Grol believes that the amount requested by Utrecht mainly reflects the club’s desire to keep their key player:
“It mainly shows that they would prefer to keep him, especially when you consider what lies ahead with the European season.”
He is, however, skeptical about a move to Russia:
“Why would you go to Russia? I’ve also looked at outgoing transfers, and very few clubs are still buying from the Russian league. It would really be a financial choice to go there; sportingly, there’s not much left to gain.”
