AS Monaco surprises Saudi Pro League and enters race to sign Boudaoui

Hicham Boudaoui's future has seen a significant development as AS Monaco have entered the race to sign the Nice midfielder, who was previously close to a move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad.

French newspaper L'Équipe has revealed that AS Monaco have begun advanced negotiations to secure the signing of Hicham Boudaoui, in an attempt to keep the player in the Saudi Pro League, after all indications pointed towards his departure to Saudi Arabia during the current period.

The club relies on the 'Joker' system, which allows French clubs to sign one player outside official transfer windows, provided they meet a set of specified conditions.

The procedure requires that the targeted player is active in France and has a valid contract. Additionally, the system does not allow any club to benefit from it to sign more than one player.

Hicham Boudaoui's current situation benefits AS Monaco, as the player is still under contract with Nice, which makes him eligible in principle for the required conditions to benefit from this exception, pending a final agreement between the concerned clubs.

According to the scenario reported by 'L'Équipe', the deal may take an indirect form, as Hicham Boudaoui is expected to extend his contract with Nice for an additional season, making his association with the club last until the summer of 2028, before moving to AS Monaco on loan.

AS Monaco's unexpected move comes at a time when Hicham Boudaoui was strongly linked with a transfer to the Saudi Pro League, following previous reports of an agreement between the player and the club regarding his transfer. However, the French team's involvement has reopened discussions about the deal and opened the door to a new destination for the player.

Despite AS Monaco's progress in negotiations, Hicham Boudaoui's future remains uncertain as the Saudi Pro League transfer window is still open, keeping the option of a move to Al-Ittihad alive alongside the French offer.