{{Short description|Moroccan footballer (born 2005)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Reda Laalaoui |image = |image_size = |caption = |full_name = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|2005|5|11|df=y}} |birth_place = [[Rabat]], Morocco<ref name="TSSF">{{cite news|url=https://www.wearehullcity.co.uk/news/2025/june/12/the-story-so-far-reda-laalaoui/|title=The Story So Far: Reda Laalaoui|work=Hull City A.F.C.|date=12 June 2025|accessdate=12 June 2025}}</ref> |height = |position = [[Midfielder]] |currentclub = [[K.V.C. Westerlo|Westerlo]] |clubnumber = 12 |youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2023 |youthclubs1 = [[Fath Union Sport|FUS Rabat]] |years1 = 2023–2025 |clubs1 = [[Fath Union Sport|FUS Rabat]] |caps1 = 51 |goals1 = 5 |years2 = 2025– |clubs2 = [[K.V.C. Westerlo|Westerlo]] |caps2 = 3 |goals2 = 0 |nationalyears1 = 2023– |nationalteam1 = [[Morocco national under-20 football team|Morocco U20]] |nationalcaps1 = 24 |nationalgoals1 = 6 |club-update = 1 June 2026 |ntupdate = 11:43, 12 June 2025 (UTC) }} '''Reda Laalaoui''' (born 11 May 2005) is a Moroccan professional [[association football|footballer]] who plays as a [[midfielder]] for [[Belgian Pro League]] club [[K.V.C. Westerlo|Westerlo]].
==Club career== ===FUS Rabat=== Laalaoui was born in [[Rabat]], and joined local club [[Fath Union Sport|FUS Rabat]] at an early age. He made his professional debut with the senior team on 15 April 2023, appearing as a late substitute in his side's 1–0 away loss to [[RS Berkane]]. His first start came two months later, on 17 June, in a 2–1 home win over [[SCC Mohammédia]].<ref name="TSSF"/>
However, Laalaoui would have to wait until 7 February 2024 to score his first professional goal. Having come off the bench in the second half, he scored a 95th minute winner at home to [[Wydad AC|Wydad Casablanca]] to secure a dramatic 2–1 victory. In spite of this, Laalaoui's best performance for his boyhood club was arguably on 15 March 2025. In a league fixture at home to [[JS Soualem]], he scored once and assisted twice to help complete a 4–2 win.<ref name="TSSF"/>
===Hull City=== On 12 June 2025, it was announced that Laalaoui had joined [[EFL Championship]] side [[Hull City A.F.C.|Hull City]], arriving on a four-year deal for a rumoured £400,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wearehullcity.co.uk/news/2025/june/12/laalaoui-completes-hull-city-move/|title=Laalaoui completes Hull City move|work=Hull City A.F.C.|date=12 June 2025|accessdate=12 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cz635e333lxo|title=Hull City sign Moroccan midfielder Laalaoui|work=BBC Sport|date=12 June 2025|accessdate=12 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/hull-city-confirm-first-signing-10256200|title=Hull City confirm first signing of Sergej Jakirovic era as midfielder seals MKM Stadium transfer|work=Hull Daily Mail|date=12 June 2025|accessdate=12 June 2025}}</ref> However, a few weeks later, on 4 July, the club received a fee-restricting transfer embargo which put Laalaoui's transfer in jeopardy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c873y39j5ylo|title=Hull City to appeal against transfer embargo|work=BBC Sport|date=4 July 2025|accessdate=10 September 2025}}</ref> Despite an appeal which shortened the length of the embargo, Laalaoui saw his move annulled, and he became a free agent as a result.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wearehullcity.co.uk/news/2025/august/19/club-statement--appeal-decision/|title= Club Statement: Appeal Decision|publisher=Hull City A.F.C.|date=19 August 2025|accessdate=19 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cd0d32ermzlo|title=Hull City have spending restrictions reduced|work=BBC Sport|date=19 August 2025|accessdate=19 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.efl.com/news/2025/august/19/statement-from-the-independent-club-financial-reporting-unit--cfru---hull-city-fee-restriction-sanction-confirmation/|title=Statement from the independent Club Financial Reporting Unit (CFRU): Hull City Fee Restriction Sanction Confirmation|work=EFL|date=19 August 2025|accessdate=19 August 2025}}</ref>
===Westerlo=== Laalaoui soon found a new home, arriving at [[Belgian Pro League]] side [[K.V.C. Westerlo|Westerlo]] on 8 September 2025.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://kvcwesterlo.be/2025/09/08/welkom-reda/|title=Welkom Reda!|publisher=K.V.C. Westerlo|date=8 September 2025|accessdate=10 September 2025}}</ref>
==International career== ===Youth level=== Laalaoui has regularly represented his nation at youth level. On 16 May 2023, he made his debut for the [[Morocco national under-20 football team|U20s]], playing the entirety of a 3–0 win over [[Burkina Faso national under-20 football team|Burkina Faso]].<ref name="TSSF"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://frmf.ma/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%86%d8%aa%d8%ae%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%88%d8%b7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%84-%d9%85%d9%86-20-%d8%b3%d9%86%d8%a9-%d9%8a%d9%81%d9%88%d8%b2-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a8%d9%88/|title=المنتخب الوطني لاقل من 20 سنة يفوز على بوركينافاسو|work=Royal Moroccan Football Federation|date=16 May 2023|accessdate=12 June 2025}}</ref> He scored his first goal later that year, on 12 October, netting a 93rd minute equaliser against South Korea U18s.<ref name="TSSF"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://frmf.ma/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%86%d8%aa%d8%ae%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%88%d8%b7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%84-%d9%85%d9%86-20-%d8%b3%d9%86%d8%a9-%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%a7%d8%af%d9%84-%d9%85%d8%b9-%d9%83/|title=المنتخب الوطني لاقل من 20 سنة يتعادل مع كوريا الجنوبية|work=Royal Moroccan Football Federation|date=12 October 2023|accessdate=12 June 2025}}</ref> Laalaoui was also a member of the squad who were runners-up at the [[2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations]]. Featuring in five out of six games at the tournament, including the final, he scored one goal.<ref name="TSSF"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cafonline.com/caf-u-20-africa-cup-of-nations/match-centre?competition=7dauoeun2gnkofl7f4y510s4f&season=30lzsd6ovbob7hnffnvomyxw4&match=8bjdzdqo0eza1x0t3t745zndg|title=Kenya Under 20 2-3 Morocco Under 20|work=Confederation of African Football|date=1 May 2025|accessdate=12 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://frmf.ma/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%86%d8%aa%d8%ae%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%88%d8%b7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%82%d9%84-%d9%85%d9%86-20-%d8%b3%d9%86%d8%a9-%d9%8a%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%87%d9%84-%d9%85%d8%b4%d9%88%d8%a7/|title=المنتخب الوطني لأقل من 20 سنة يستهل مشواره في كأس إفريقيا بفوز على كينيا|work=Royal Moroccan Football Federation|date=1 May 2025|accessdate=12 June 2025}}</ref>
==Playing style== Laalaoui is a right-footed, box-to-box [[midfielder]], but can also play in more advanced roles, both through the middle and on the right. He has previously been compared to [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] and [[England national football team|England]] talent [[Jude Bellingham]].<ref name="TSSF"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/hull-city-closing-transfer-deal-10176486|title=Hull City closing in on transfer deal for youngster likened to Jude Bellingham|work=Hull Daily Mail|date=13 May 2025|accessdate=12 June 2025}}</ref>
==Honours== '''Morocco U20s''' *[[UNAF U-20 Tournament]] runner-up: [[2023 UNAF U-20 Tournament|2023]] *[[UNAF U-20 Tournament]] winner: [[2024 UNAF U-20 Tournament|2024]] *[[U-20 Africa Cup of Nations]] runner-up: [[2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations|2025]]<ref name="TSSF"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://frmf.ma/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%86%d8%aa%d8%ae%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%88%d8%b7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%82%d9%84-%d9%85%d9%86-20-%d8%b3%d9%86%d8%a9-%d9%88%d8%b5%d9%8a%d9%81-%d8%a8%d8%b7%d9%84-%d8%a5%d9%81/\|title=المنتخب الوطني لأقل من 20 سنة وصيف بطل إفريقيا ويتوج بجائزة الروح الرياضية|work=Royal Moroccan Football Federation|date=18 May 2025|accessdate=12 June 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{K.V.C. Westerlo squad}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laalaoui, Reda}} [[Category:2005 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Footballers from Rabat]] [[Category:Moroccan men's footballers]] [[Category:Morocco men's youth international footballers]] [[Category:Moroccan expatriate men's footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football midfielders]] [[Category:English Football League players]] [[Category:21st-century Moroccan sportsmen]] [[Category:Fath Union Sport players]] [[Category:KVC Westerlo players]]