Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand’s trial spell with SC Heerenveen has ended without a contract offer, with club manager Robin Veldman deciding against signing the former Arsenal midfielder.
22-year-old midfielder Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand left Arsenal this summer after five years with the club, with his age creating a problem for the Gunners.
No longer an u21 player, Oulad M’Hand wouldn’t have been eligible for the unlimited Premier League and Champions League u21 lists. Instead, the club would have had to include him as a senior player, using up a spot that could have been taken by a new signing.
Given Oulad M’Hand had never made a senior appearance for Arsenal, that likely felt like a waste of a spot, and the Gunners didn’t offer the player a new contract.
There have been various rumours about the player’s future since then, with reports over the summer that Oulad M’Hand might join the Go Ahead Eagles, then further claims that he would be holding a trial with SC Heerenveen.
Dutch reporter Sander de Vries has since confirmed that Oulad M’Hand won’t be getting a contract with Heerenveen, with the club’s manager Robin Veldman explaining that whilst the player did make a good impression, he’s not yet ready for their first team.
On top of that, Veldman didn’t want to block the progression of some of his other players, like Isaiah Ahmed and Nolhan Courtens.
It’s not great news for Oulad M’Hand, who remains without a club. But it’s also not the end of the world, as the player’s status as a free agent means he’s not constricted by transfer window deadlines.
Perhaps another opportunity will present itself in the couple of months before the January window opens.