Bilal El Khannouss has officially made a permanent move to VfB Stuttgart, but before he embarks on this new chapter, he is set to represent Morocco in the upcoming World Cup. On Tuesday evening, Morocco's 26-man squad for the tournament in North America was unveiled, with El Khannouss included, mirroring his participation during the recent Africa Cup triumph and the international matches held in March.
Among the notable absentees from the squad is Amine Adli, who, despite having a higher market value than many of his teammates, did not make the cut under national coach Mohamed Ouahbi. Only seven Moroccan players boast a higher market value than the former Bayer Leverkusen player, who has struggled for playing time at Bournemouth recently. Similarly, current Bayer player Eliesse Ben Seghir, who also holds a market value of €20 million, has not been selected. The 21-year-old returned late last season from injury and was unable to secure his World Cup spot. He was, however, part of the Moroccan squad during the Africa Cup.
The second most valuable player in the Moroccan team is now the LOSC talent Ayyoub Bouaddi. The 18-year-old has chosen to represent Morocco after previously playing for the French youth teams. He recently made his debut for the national team in a friendly against Burundi, where Morocco triumphed 5-0, just before the squad announcement. Morocco will face Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti in Group C of the World Cup.
The match against Burundi concluded a five-day training camp where players like Soufiane El-Faouzi from Schalke and Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab from Frankfurt were evaluated by the national coach for the first time. Coach Ouahbi expressed his surprise at Amaimouni-Echghouyab's performance, stating, "We were already impressed by his level before the training camp. He is a player with a very interesting profile—young, dynamic, explosive, and quick to understand what is required of him. He proved that he belongs on the team."
On Monday, VfB Stuttgart officially confirmed El Khannouss's permanent signing following his loan from Leicester City. Sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth had already indicated in March that the conditions for the purchase option had been met, with a transfer fee reportedly set at €15 million. In a statement from VfB, Wohlgemuth noted, "Bilal has shown impressive performances in all competitions while wearing the VfB jersey last season, and he plays a central role in the Moroccan national team as a young player. He possesses exceptional footballing skills and we believe he still has significant potential for further development."
As reported by transfermarkt.de.
