AZ has signed 24-year-old French-Algerian central defender Abdelnour Soualhia, who was a free agent after his departure from Le Puy, a club in the third tier of French football. The Alkmaar-based club will immediately loan the left-footed player to Telstar. Soualhia has signed a contract with AZ until mid-2028, which includes an option for an additional year. Niels van Duinen, AZ's technical director, said the club is pleased Soualhia has confidence in the sporting plan offered to him. He explained that the loan to Telstar will give the defender a chance to acclimatize to the Dutch football culture and gain immediate experience in the Eredivisie. Van Duinen added that they will closely watch the development of the physically strong player to assess his potential long-term value to AZ. In the 2025/2026 season for Le Puy in Ligue 3, Abdelnour Soualhia had 23 appearances and 2 goals. His current Transfermarkt market value is €300k.