Benfica ready to chase Utrecht left back El Karouani

Benfica and rivals FC Porto are said to have reached out to Utrecht about the availability of Moroccan left back Souffian El Karouani, according to reports out of Spain and has caught the attention of many squads with his fine first half of the season performance in the Netherlands.

El Karouani currently leads the Eredivisie with eight assists and has provided thirteen helpers across all competitions while chipping in three goals in over 2,000 minutes of action. El Karouani who was born in the Netherlands decided to join Morocco's national program debuting with the African side in 2021.

The 25 year old joined Utrecht in the summer of 2023 from NEC Nijmegen on a free transfer and with his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2026. Utrecht are hoping to cash during the winter window with a club that wants the player this season before he walks away for free.

With attack is El Karouani's hallmark, he does provide solid defensive coverage and ranks highly in duels won in the Eredivisie. This is the type of player that Benfica bench boss Mourinho covets and will be pushing the club's hierarchy to make the move.