VfB have completed their sixth signing of the summer transfer window, securing the services of 20-year-old Algeria international Badredine Bouanani from French top-flight club OGC Nice on a contract through to 30 June 2030. Bouanani, who also holds French citizenship, will wear the number 27 shirt in Stuttgart.
“VfB Stuttgart are a great club – I’m very happy to be here,” Bouanani said after completing his medical on Sunday. “I followed the Bundesliga in France and like the football that VfB play. I want to keep developing and use my qualities to help us be successful as a team.”
Fabian Wohlgemuth, VfB board member for sport, added: “Badredine Bouanani is a player we’ve had our eye on for some time. He can be deployed across the attack and, despite his young age, has experience of playing in European competition – including the UEFA Europa League last season. His style of play gives us additional options in attack. We’re delighted to see Badredine Bouanani wearing the shirt with the red hoop and we welcome him to VfB Stuttgart.”
Ligue 1 debut at 18
Born in Lille on 8 December 2004, Bouanani took his first steps as a footballer at US Ronchin, an amateur club on the outskirts of Lille, before joining LOSC Lille’s academy in 2011. After rising through the youth ranks at the French top-flight side, he completed a move to Nice in summer 2022 and made his Ligue 1 debut six months later, aged just 18 years and one month. He went on to make 53 further league appearances for Nice, registering three goals and seven assists.
Bouanani also spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at FC Lorient, scoring once in 11 matches in the top division. He also has 11 European appearances to his name, having scored twice in eight UEFA Europa League outings for Nice last season after previously appearing in one UEFA Conference League tie and two UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
The 1.77m attacker has won five senior caps for Algeria, having registered three goals in 23 appearances for France at youth level.