Yunis Abdelhamid to leave Saint-Étienne after one season | OneFootball

AS Saint-Étienne have lost the first of what could be numerous players in the summer transfer window. L’Équipe reports that despite having a second-year option on his contract, Yunis Abdelhamid (37) will depart Les Verts effective June 30.

The Montpellier-born defender who joined the side ahead of the 2024-25 season from Stade de Reims is expected to be one of the many players to leave in the upcoming transfer window after the club were officially relegated from Ligue 1 this past weekend.

Saint-Étienne had only just climbed back into the French top flight this season, their first at this level since 2021-22. Abdelhamid had featured at Reims for seven years before departing last summer. His vast experience in Ligue 1 couldn’t help Saint-Étienne contain most sides at this level as they conceded 77 goals in 34 top-flight contests, the second-most after Montpellier HSC (79), who were also relegated.

This past season, the defender who represents Morocco on the international stage made 16 appearances for Les Stéphanois in Ligue 1. Eirik Horneland’s men lost three of their final four league fixtures this season, finishing three points below Abdelhamid’s former club, Reims, for the relegation play-off berth. On five occasions in 2024-25 they were beaten by four goals or more.

The former 10-time Ligue 1 champions ended this campaign with 30 points, equalling their lowest mark from 2019-20 when the season was cut to just 28 games because of COVID.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre