OH Leuven lose young midfielder to Greek top club PAOK

OH Leuven has confirmed that 19‑year‑old midfielder Mohamed Yassine Azzouz is leaving immediately for the Greek top club PAOK, with a contract until mid‑2028. The transfer was announced on Monday and marks the end of his current agreement at the end of the season in Leuven.

Contract and extension attempts

The contract runs until June 2028, meaning Azzouz will play the next four seasons in Thessaloniki. His previous agreement with OH Leuven was still valid until the end of the current season, but extension negotiations yielded no result. The signing took place at Den Dreef. The club has not yet provided an official confirmation regarding a possible transfer fee.

Talent and background

The talented Moroccan youth international Azzouz made his debut last season in the playoffs of OH Leuven's A‑team. He came through the Oud Heverlee Leuven youth academy and was early on regarded as one of the club's emerging talents, praised for his attacking midfield qualities.

Greek media are divided over his eventual role at PAOK; one newspaper sees him as a reinforcement for the first team, while another publication suspects he will mainly play for PAOK B.

In the Europa League qualifiers, PAOK recently crossed paths with RSC Anderlecht, with the Belgian record champion eliminating the Greeks.

The Belgian transfer market has already closed its doors, while Greek clubs still have until midnight to finalize incoming transfers. OH Leuven thus became the victim of the later Greek deadline.

The deal, which has been signed by both OH Leuven and PAOK as well as the player involved, is now officially confirmed by Greek media. DONE DEAL.