Youssef El Arabi: Nantes' newest striker in 17 trophies

Youssef El Arabi is back in Ligue 1 McDonald's 14 years after departing, having joined FC Nantes after an Odyssean career that has seen him have success in Spain, Greece, the Middle East and more. Learn more about the Morocco international's career in numbers.

A Ligue 2 BKT Champion… 15 years ago

After three appearances in Ligue 1 McDonald's at the age of 20, Youssef El Arabi broke out the following season in Ligue 2 BKT with SM Caen, enjoying success both individually (11 goals and 8 assists in 34 matches) and collectively (winning the title) under Franck Dumas.

A season with 17 goals in Ligue 1 McDonald's

Returning to Malherbe, El Arabi had a promising start to the season, scoring in the first two matches at the Vélodrome and against OL in two Caen victories. Having scored nine goals by the midway point of the season, the striker finished the season in Ligue 1 McDonald's with 17 goals. Only Sow (LOSC, 25) and Gameiro (Lorient, 22) scored more. This opened the door to the Moroccan national team and a transfer to Saudi Arabia.

1 European title and 12 more abroad

The Middle East was, however, just one part of the atypical career path taken by the new Nantes recruit. After playing for SM Caen, the striker played one season at Al-Hilal, four in La Liga (Granada), three in Qatar, four in Greece, and one in Cyprus. He built a solid track record there, winning the Conference League with Olympiacos in 2024, as well as three Greek league titles (2020, 2021, and 2022), a Greek Cup, after winning the league title twice in Qatar (2017 and 2018), and four other trophies in that country. In total, El Arabi has won 12 club trophies, most recently the Cypriot Super Cup (2024).

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— FC Nantes (@FCNantes) July 18, 2025

4 Top Scorer Awards

Individually, the Moroccan striker has also received several accolades. Notably, he was named the Greek league's best player (2020/21), and he was twice the top scorer in the Super League and twice in the Qatari Stars League. Demonstrating his finishing abilities wherever he played, El Arabi has scored at least 10 goals in 10 seasons between 2009/10 and 2024/25. In 16 seasons, the former Normandy star has scored more than 20 goals three times (26, 26, and 24 goals in Qatar). 

A scorer in all three European Cups

While he won the Conference League in 2024, Youssef El Arabi also stands out for having found the net in all three European competitions. In his first Champions League campaign, he scored five times, including once against Manuel Neuer's Bayern. Relegated to the Europa League (19/20), the Moroccan took advantage of the opportunity to find the net twice, leading his team to the round of 16 after beating Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. He repeated the feat the following season, scoring in both the first and second legs against the Gunners. Overall, the newest Canari player has 21 goals in 71 matches in the three competitions.

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