Morocco international Yassir Zabiri has completed a move from Stade Rennais to Real Racing Club de Santander, swapping Ligue 1 for the Spanish second division after the two clubs reached agreement following several weeks of negotiations.
The 20-year-old forward, regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Moroccan football, joins Racing Santander in search of greater first-team opportunities, having been closely tracked by the Spanish side for several months.
Talks between Rennes and Racing intensified in recent days and were finalised in the last few hours, allowing Zabiri to seal what is described as a new challenge in LaLiga’s second tier.
Rising Moroccan talent
Zabiri came through the youth ranks in Morocco before continuing his development in Portugal with FC Famalicao. His performances there prompted Stade Rennais to secure his services in a deal reported to be worth close to €10m.
That transfer proved highly lucrative for the Mohammed VI Academy, where Zabiri was trained as a teenager, as outlined in a previous exclusive report by Africafoot.
On the international stage, Zabiri has been a standout figure in Morocco’s youth set-up. He captained the Lionceaux de l’Atlas at under-20 level and played a key role in the national team’s historic triumph at the U20 World Cup, further underlining his status as a major prospect for the future of Moroccan football.
Choice of Spain over France
In recent weeks, several French clubs had also expressed interest in signing the young attacker, exploring the possibility of bringing him in either permanently or on loan.
However, the sporting project laid out by Racing Santander, combined with the expectation of more regular playing time, proved decisive in Zabiri’s choice of destination.
The move offers Zabiri the chance to establish himself in a competitive environment while avoiding the congestion of attacking options at Rennes, where breaking into the starting XI on a consistent basis had been a challenge.
Santander’s expectations
Racing Santander view Zabiri as an important addition to their attacking options and are counting on his blend of technical ability, physical power and potential for further improvement to strengthen the team in the upcoming campaign.
Under his new colours, Zabiri will now aim to take the next step in his career, with the Spanish club hoping that his development can go hand in hand with their ambitions for the season ahead.
