Nordin Amrabat is heading back to Dutch football. FC Utrecht has officially confirmed the signing of the 39-year-old attacker on a free transfer, following the expiry of his contract at Wydad Casablanca in the summer of 2026. The move comes after a two-week training period in Utrecht, which convinced the club’s staff to keep him beyond a simple trial. Amrabat has now been added to the first-team squad and is immediately eligible to play in the Eredivisie.
At 39, Amrabat completes a free transfer to FC Utrecht, turning a two-week trial into a first-team roster spot.
The agreement is structured on an amateur basis, a detail that has drawn attention across Dutch and international media. Reports describe his pay as close to zero euros, with outlets using the phrase “bizar salaris” to underline how unusual the arrangement is. Under KNVB registration rules, this amateur status does not prevent FC Utrecht from fielding him in official Eredivisie and domestic matches.
The deal is valid for the full 2026-27 season, though the club has stressed it will use him flexibly, based on need rather than guarantee.
What began as a fitness-focused stay in Utrecht evolved into something more concrete. Club officials, including sporting director and coach Anthony Correia, have pointed to Amrabat’s experience, energy, and mentality as reasons to keep him involved. He is expected to operate in wide attacking positions or as a creative presence in the final third, roles that match his history as a winger and attacking midfielder.
Given his age, he is more likely to be used as an impact substitute than as a regular starter, though his deployment will depend on form and fitness throughout the campaign.
This return marks a notable chapter in a career that began in the Eredivisie with VVV-Venlo and PSV Eindhoven before taking him across Europe, with stints at Málaga, Galatasaray, Watford, and Leganés. His most recent spell was in Morocco with Wydad Casablanca, where he made 35 appearances last season.
Amrabat has also earned multiple caps for the Moroccan national team, including tournament appearances, adding leadership value to Utrecht’s squad. Notably, his younger brother Sofyan Amrabat has become a key engine in Morocco’s midfield, further cementing the family’s footballing legacy. His comeback to Dutch top-flight football arrives roughly fifteen years after he last played there, a gap that Dutch media has already highlighted as a striking late-career development.
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