Moroccan center-back Nayef Aguerd has reportedly refused to join the Saudi league, which hired the services of several Moroccan and foreign international players during the latest summer transfer window.
According to reports, Saudi Pro League Al-Ittihad had shown interest in the player prior to the transfer window closing last Thursday.
The West Ham’s player is said to be thriving in London, and the club is determined to keep their Atlas Lion, according to the Italian sports journalist Fabrizio Romano.
“Nayef Aguerd and Saudi won’t happen now. Nayef, very happy at West Ham and West Ham are very happy with him also,” Romano said on his official X account.
In addition, the English club has reportedly rejected a number of offers this summer, considering the player as “irreplaceable,” the journalist stated.
On August 20, Aguerd scored a magnificent goal with a header against Chelsea. The goal was his first of the season and opened the scoring for his English club in the 7th minute.
However, the Moroccan defender did not finish the match as he was sent off from two yellow cards he had received. Despite playing with ten men, his team managed to end the game with a 3-1 victory.
The 27-year-old player joined West Ham in July 2022 from Rennes for a price of 35 million euros. He is currently under contract with the Hammers, with whom he won the Europa Conference League, until June 2027.
In June, Aguerd was named to the 2022-23 Europa Conference League Team of the Season by UEFA as a result of his outstanding defensive play throughout the competition.
The Atlas Lion is among the many players called up by national team’s head coach Walid Regragui for matches against Liberia and Burkina Faso, taking place on September 9 in Agadir and September 12 in Lens.
