Inter Milan has officially signed Real Madrid's Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi, for the fee of €40million, plus €5m in add ons.
The former on-loan at Dortmund defender has joined the Italian giants on a permanent deal until 2025.
With this transfer, Hakimi became the most expensive Moroccan player of all time, together with Hakim Ziyech who has joined Chelsea's from Ajax for the same amount.
Together with Youssef En-Nesyri (From Legañes to Sevilla) and Sofyan Amrabat (From Chievo to Fiorentina), this generation of Moroccan players is definitely present in the transfer market.
As the excitement from the landing of right back in Milan is rising to new heights, it is worth to focus on a few less known details on the guy who'll manage Antonio Conte's wing at the San Siro.
Hala Madrid, Hala Morocco
Achraf Hakimi was born in Madrid, Spain, to Moroccan parents. According to the Spanish Institute for Statistics, there are near one million Moroccans (864,546) living in Spain. Hakimi defines himself as a Madridista and a Moroccan. His parents moved from a Moroccan village near Casablanca to work in Madrid's industrial sector in pursuit after a better life. In an interview to bundesliga.com, Hakimi said: "They came from areas where there is hardly any work. They had to fight enormously hard. I have no words to describe my parents."
La Rioja’s Bound
The Spanish FA had contacted Hakimi when he was making his first steps in the Real Madrid academy, to convince the player to come and play for the La Riojita of U-16. Achraf and his family decided to stick with the Moroccan team. "I'm proud to be a Moroccan", he said back then.
Real Madrid in a Letter
When he was a kid, Hakimi's mother tried to persuade him to try swimming, but little Achraf was keen on football only. After he made his start at the Getafe based club, CD Ofigevi, who does not exist anymore, the Hakimi family have received a letter in the post box. This letter contained an invitation for trials in Real Madrid. Yes. The old fashion way. "I thought that it was a lie and that my father was trying to trick me," Achraf confessed years later.
Hakimi went through all of Real Madrid stages. From La Fabrica to the reserves, Achraf made his first-team debut in Real Madrid at the 2017/2018. He was 18. Two months later he scored his first goal for Real, in a 5-0 victory against Sevilla. The coach who gave him his debut was no other than Zinedine Zidane. Zidane' son, Luca, is one of Achraf's best friends as they played together in all of Real Madrid's age groups.
Flash, the Moroccan Version
Hakimi was the fastest player ever to play in the Bundesliga since the German top-flight started to collect data on the league in the 2011/12 season. In a match between Dortmund to RB Leipzig earlier this season, he notched a 36.2 km per hour speed. That's absolutely crazy.
"I wish I had a team of Achraf Hakimi's". This quote belongs to the former coach of the Moroccan national team, Hervé Renard, after the problematic qualification of the selection to the knockout stage in the latest Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, last summer. Hakimi won twice the Young African Player of the Year Award, in 2018 and 2019.
Fortnite Player and a Father
Achraf is an avid gamer. When the coronavirus just kicked off, Hakimi showed off his skills in the Bundesliga Home Challenge, a FIFA e-tournament. Though, according to sources, his true passion when it comes to console games is Fortnite.
Achraf's partner, Hiba Aboukhris Benslimane, is also the mother of his first child. Hiba, who's an actress familiar by the name Hiba Abouk, is 13 years older than Achraf. He's 21, and she's 34. Maybe this is why he has such a 'mature attitude' to the game? Might be.
Thumbnail photo taken from Inter Milan’s website.