– Leicester City confirm Bilal El Khannouss signing
– Morocco international joins the Foxes from Genk
– The 20-year-old will wear the number 11 shirt
The talented Morocco international has penned a four-year deal with the Foxes and will link up with his new team-mates ahead of Saturday’s game against Aston Villa.
El Khannouss moves to King Power Stadium having recently earned international honours by helping Morocco to a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Speaking to LCFC.com, Bilal said: “I’m very happy. Leicester City is a big club in England, and it’s always a dream for a young guy like me to play in the Premier League, so I’m very excited, and I hope to achieve big things here.
“I talked with the manager, and I immediately had a good feeling with the club. I’m really excited to meet my teammates, to make great things with them, and I hope to win a lot of games too.”
Born in Belgium, the highly regarded 20-year-old started his career with Anderlecht before moving to fellow Belgian side Genk in 2019, making his professional debut against Mechelen in May 2022.
The attacker’s performances in the Jupiler Pro League earned him a place in Morocco’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar – going on to make his international bow in the Atlas Lions’ third-place play-off game with Croatia.
Bilal featured 51 times in all competitions for Genk last season and further established a reputation as one of the most exciting talents in Belgium’s top-flight.
Internationally, El Khannouss represented Belgium up to Under-18s level but later represented Morocco and has since won 14 senior caps for the Atlas Lions.
The player helped his country to the Under-23s Africa Cup of Nations title last year and enjoyed further success with his nation this July at the Summer Olympics, including a goal in a 6-0 win over Egypt in the Bronze Medal match.