Monaco Secures Moroccan Young Talents with Professional Contracts

Monaco have moved quickly to lock in two of Morocco’s brightest young prospects, handing professional contracts to a quartet of academy standouts after a breakout season at youth level.

The club announced on Tuesday that Safouane Benzahra, Nahil El Haddani, Nejd Ajroud and Melvin Gomes Da Veiga have all signed their first professional deals, committing to Monaco until 30 June 2029.

All four were born in 2008. All four helped drive Monaco’s under-19s to the semi-finals of the French league last season. That run did not go unnoticed.

Benzahra and El Haddani, both youth internationals with Morocco, headline the group, joined by Tunisian-French midfielder Ajroud and Gomes Da Veiga. Their performances over recent months had already drawn interest from rival clubs, forcing Monaco to act decisively to secure their futures.

The step up has been coming. French outlet Foot Mercato underlined that trajectory, noting it had already reported last week that the four youngsters were ready to rise a level after integrating into Filipe Luís’s squad during pre-season.

One of them has already broken through the glass ceiling. Benzahra has tasted top-flight football, making his competitive debut in Ligue 1 against Paris Saint-Germain, a clear signal of the trust Monaco place in his potential.

For Ajroud, El Haddani and Gomes Da Veiga, the path is now marked out rather than guaranteed. Their signatures formalise the promise. The real battle begins as they push on towards the first team in a club that has made a habit of turning prospects into headline names.