A Moroccan club are stepping up their efforts to lure Moroccan international Sofiane Boufal to their ranks during the current summer transfer window.
Website "Afrik Foot" revealed that Renaissance Berkane's officials are ready to play several cards to persuade Boufal, the former Le Havre player, to return to the Moroccan league. Among them: the club's sporting project, its domestic and continental ambitions, and the stability the team have enjoyed in recent years.
The renewal of Moroccan international goalkeeper Mounir El Mohammadi's contract hands Berkane another card. Club chiefs have already struck an official agreement to keep their goalkeeper with the orange side.
According to Moroccan website "Le360", officials at the orange club believe that the presence of experienced international names, alongside the anticipated participation in continental competitions, may tempt Boufal into a new adventure in the Moroccan championship.
Boufal is 32 and boasts a rich professional career across Europe and the Middle East.
France's Angers shaped him. He shone there before moving to Southampton in 2016 for his first taste of the English Premier League.
After that spell in England, Boufal returned to France through the door of Lille, then headed back to Southampton, before taking on a stint in Spain with Celta Vigo.
He also wore the shirt of Qatar's Al Rayyan and later turned out for Belgium's Union Saint-Gilloise, amassing considerable experience across a host of European and Gulf leagues.
On the international stage, Boufal ranks among the most prominent names to wear the Morocco shirt in recent years. He featured for the Atlas Lions at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he played his part in the national team's historic charge to the semi-finals, a first in the history of African football.
Berkane hope to harness his international experience and technical quality to add real value to their squad next season.
Money is only part of the pitch. Officials want to present the player with an all-round sporting project, stressing the stability the team enjoy and the ambitions they hold at both domestic and continental level.
Talks remain open. Everything now hinges on the Moroccan international's stance and how convinced he is about returning to the professional championship through the door of the orange team.