Paradou AC look set to lose left winger Yacine Abed, 16, to Al Ahli Doha without receiving a fee, according to La Gazette du Fennec. The academy club points to FIFA’s rules on transfers of minors.
Is the Paradou AC academy about to lose one of its jewels without compensation? According to La Gazette du Fennec, Qatari club Al Ahli Doha will very likely complete the arrival of Yacine Abed, a 16-year-old left winger regarded as the best player of his generation. The outlet reports that the academy club would not receive any fee in the deal.
The matter has not yet been made official: no statement has so far confirmed a signed agreement between the parties. But the details reported by La Gazette du Fennec paint an unfavourable picture for Paradou, who were unable to secure their prodigy’s future with a ratified professional contract.
A youth contract too weak
At the heart of the problem is the player’s contractual status. Yacine Abed is tied to Paradou AC only by an academy (aspirant) contract, a formula which, according to La Gazette du Fennec, does not effectively protect the academy club’s interests. Without a ratified professional contract, the academy would be left helpless in the face of his departure.
The Qatari club is also said to have offered Abed’s family a decent standard of living and a package of benefits to seal the transfer, again according to the same source. These details are allegations that have not been officially confirmed. The Qatari project is reportedly considering a sporting naturalisation of the young player further down the line, though no such move has been formally announced at this stage.
Paradou AC’s management, for its part, points out that “international transfers of minors under the age of 18 are strictly governed by FIFA regulations”. According to La Gazette du Fennec, the club tried to challenge the move before the international governing body by invoking those rules.
An African breakthrough
Yacine Abed announced himself on the African stage in particular at the last U17 Africa Cup of Nations, playing for the Algeria national team, according to La Gazette du Fennec. The Paradou AC academy left winger thus caught the eye beyond Algeria’s borders, to the point of attracting interest from a Qatari club.
And now, the official confirmation
The next step announced by La Gazette du Fennec remains the signing and official confirmation of the transfer to Al Ahli Doha. Until that formality is completed, the matter remains open, and the outcome of the approach Paradou have made to FIFA is unknown.
Until that official confirmation, the information remains that of La Gazette du Fennec, the only source on the matter.