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Youcef Belaili’s unresolved future, record domestic spending by MC Alger and an aggressive rebuild at CR Belouizdad are setting the tone for a turbulent Algerian summer transfer window, with the 2026-27 season still a month away.
The window has been open for just over three weeks, yet the main contenders have already sketched out their ambitions, while relegated clubs are forced into major reshuffles. Deals concluded or close to completion provide a first clear picture of a market where almost every club is selling, buying or gambling, despite persistent structural problems.
Belaili at centre of attention
Even without a signature, Belaili is the biggest story of the window. The Algeria international, now a free agent after terminating his contract with Esperance de Tunis, is closing in on another return to MC Alger, where a proposed two-year deal is on the table.
Talks involving the player, his entourage, club president Hadj Redjem and new manager Djamel Benlamri have moved forward significantly in recent weeks. However, the move is still tied to the disciplinary case surrounding Belaili and the appeal lodged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), keeping a degree of caution around what would be the most high‐impact domestic transfer of the summer.
At 33, the forward could rejoin the three-time defending champions, where he previously rediscovered enjoyment, responsibility and a fervent fanbase on his own scale. No other internal move would carry a comparable sporting, media and emotional weight.
Benguit returns to stabilise troubled USM Alger
In a summer marked by internal turmoil at USM Alger, the club have secured the return of Abderaouf Benguit on a contract running until 2030. The midfielder, who previously played for USMA between 2016 and 2019, leaves CR Belouizdad in a move that borders on a twist, given he had been targeted by Abha Club in Saudi Arabia.
Once a key figure at CR Belouizdad, Benguit had seen his influence and market value decline, with his demonstrative behaviour during the Algerian Cup final defeat by USMA further straining relations. For USMA, who are dealing with serious instability at board level, his comeback is more than a routine signing: he understands the club’s demands, pressure and environment, and returns in his prime aiming to recover the form that made him one of the league’s most complete midfielders.
JS Kabylie lose defensive leader Belaid
JS Kabylie are braced for one of the most painful departures of the window, with captain Zineddine Belaid joining Al Taawoun in Saudi Arabia after the activation of a release clause estimated at €1.2m.
Financially, the deal is highly favourable for JSK, but the sporting cost is significant. Belaid, an Algeria international and reference point in central defence, offered reliability in a department where understanding is as important as individual talent. The club must now replace their defensive leader just weeks before the season starts, underlining a familiar issue for Algerian sides: once a player reaches or regains international level, Gulf clubs can offer financial terms that are almost impossible to match.
Ramdaoui saga drags on at relegated Paradou
The expected departure of Mohamed El Amine Ramdaoui after Paradou AC’s relegation has not materialised. The forward, who finished the season as the league’s second-top scorer with 10 goals at the end of May, was initially thought to be close to USM Alger.
But the total cost of the operation reportedly rose from around 14 to nearly 20 billion centimes once taxes, salary and contractual demands were included, with Paradou also insisting on keeping 40% of any future resale. Additional disagreements between sporting director Said Allik and USMA board chairman Bilal Nouioua, who refused to sign off the documents, blocked the move.
Baltika Kaliningrad then attempted to capitalise on the deadlock, but a switch to Russia also collapsed. Ramdaoui remains under contract at Paradou, turning the market’s most sought-after local striker into its most tangled case.
Historic giants MCO and ESS struggle to land headline names
MC Oran and ES Setif, two of the country’s most tradition-rich clubs, have been unable so far to attract marquee signings. MCO have added Ismail Saadi, Houari Baouche, Ahmed Ghenam and Gabon defender Edlin Randy Essang-Matouti, but these look more like depth moves than game‐changing arrivals, despite the club coming off a positive season in the upper reaches of the table.
ES Setif, twice champions of Africa, appear in even greater difficulty. Hampered by administrative instability and a lack of long‐term sporting vision, they have brought in Larbi Tabti, Salim Akka and Jordanian player Al Houani, but the recruitment falls short of the glamour the club were once known for. While MC Alger, CR Belouizdad and JS Kabylie move decisively, Setif and Oran still look like they are being led by the market rather than shaping it.
Bedrane and Bouchar at heart of CR Belouizdad rebuild
CR Belouizdad are focusing heavily on their back line. Centre-back Abdelkader Bedrane, once his contractual situation with Damac is fully resolved, is close to signing a two-year deal with the club after being strongly linked with JS Kabylie earlier in the summer.
With experience in the national team, at Esperance de Tunis and in the Saudi league, Bedrane would be an immediate plug‐and‐play signing. CRB have already brought back Sofiane Bouchar and are well stocked at centre-half, but the accumulation of seasoned defenders is part of a clear strategy: re-establish defensive solidity and assemble a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts. Bedrane is not a development prospect but a leader recruited to win duels and manage high‐pressure occasions, with the lack of a transfer fee making the deal even more attractive.
Bouchar’s own return, on a two-year contract after a spell at Al Qadsia SC in Kuwait, also carries strong sporting logic. He knows the club intimately, played a central role in CRB’s recent domestic dominance and remains a committed, consistent defender closely tied to the red-and-white shirt. His presence offers stability and continuity between the successful cycle of recent years and the new project overseen by Nabil Maaloul.
Tabti’s late-career challenge at ES Setif
After winning two league titles with MC Alger, 33-year-old playmaker Larbi Tabti is embarking on a very different mission at ES Setif. His role is likely to go beyond goals and assists: his experience, technique and deep knowledge of the domestic game are expected to guide a younger squad.
Having previously carried the expectations of USM Alger, CR Belouizdad and MCA, Tabti will now be tasked with leading, organising and handling difficult spells rather than simply competing for trophies. This late‐career chapter may be less glamorous, but it will test his ability to remain influential away from the brightest spotlight.
MC Alger’s record double swoop from Paradou
MC Alger have executed one of the most expensive internal deals in Algerian history to sign Ben Ahmed Kohili and Islam Abdelkader from Paradou AC. The total package is valued locally at close to 17 billion centimes roughly €1m with both players committing to four-year contracts, underlining that they are viewed as central pieces rather than squad fillers.
Kohili brings power, mobility and significant upside, while Abdelkader adds direct running and creativity from wide positions. His presence, however, raises an intriguing tactical question if Belaili returns, as both prefer to operate from similar areas and demand frequent touches of the ball. The champions are no longer signing merely to complete a starting XI; they are building depth to foster genuine competition for places.
Bouzok chooses CRB as Chabab go on offensive
After four seasons split between Raja Casablanca and Al Raed, Yousri Bouzok could have continued his career abroad, but the 29-year-old winger has opted for a four-year deal with CR Belouizdad, despite interest from MC Alger and JS Kabylie.
The former Algeria A’ international and Paradou product knows the league well, yet returns with a different status and added experience. His dribbling, creativity and goal threat are expected to restore unpredictability to CRB’s attack and highlight the club’s financial and sporting clout in this window.
With Bouchar, Mohamed Yasser Chelfaoui, Akacem, Houssem Tka, Mehdi Boudjemaa, Julio Bandessio and Franck Mbella Etouga all joining, CRB are not tinkering at the edges they are attempting to build a squad capable of wresting the title back from MC Alger.
Ghezzal link at JSK remains more dream than deal
JS Kabylie have explored the possibility of bringing in Algeria international Rachid Ghezzal, who has forged a long career in Europe. Such a move would hand the league another marquee name and provide JSK with a technically decisive player.
For now, though, the idea appears difficult to realise both financially and sportingly. The mixed results of the Riyad Boudebouz experiment are likely to make JSK more cautious over recruiting former full internationals. Coach Karim Belhocine continues to demand reinforcements
