The timing of his contract termination surprised everyone.
The day after his victorious goal in the semi-final of the Arab Cup against Qatar, registered at the last minute of added time, Youcef Belaïli (29 years old) had terminated his contract with… Qatar SC, "by mutual consent", his club based in Doha.
Since then, the Algerian striker is looking for a new club and has entered into discussions with several Ligue 1 clubs, including Montpellier.
Read alsoAn Algerian player fired by his Qatari club after eliminating ... Qatar
In an interview with Goal.com after the final of the tournament, won by the Fennecs against Tunisia (2-0) on Saturday, the player recognized it himself.
"
Yes, there are negotiations going on so far between me and Montpellier, but there is nothing new about the progress,"
he detailed.
Other rumors indicated the interest of Saint-Etienne and Olympique de Marseille, but the person did not mention these destinations.
Read alsoArab Cup: euphoric, Algeria wins the trophy against Tunisia
Originally, speculation following his end of contract instead sent him to the United Arab Emirates or Spain.
But the situation may have changed after his performances in the Arab Cup.
Elected second best player in the competition, Belaïli was indeed one of the great architects of Algerian success, notably scoring an anthology goal in the quarter-final against Morocco: a lob in the half-volley of 40 meters.
If he joins the Hérault, the 29-year-old would make a comeback to Ligue 1 through the front door.
In 2017-2018, he had already played in France, with Angers, but had played only one match in the SCO jersey.