Yassir Zabiri's hot start at Racing Santander draws Premier League interest

Yassir Zabiri has made an immediate impact at Racing Santander. The Moroccan forward, on loan from Rennes since August, has scored eight times in his first 11 La Liga appearances, already well past the target of 10 goals he set himself before his debut. He is fourth in the race for the Pichichi, the top scorer award in Spain's top flight, seven goals behind leader Raphinha, four behind Kylian Mbappe and two behind Lamine Yamal.

The output is notable given Racing's position. The newly promoted club are 16th in the table and lack the squad depth of Barcelona or Real Madrid. Aston Villa and Newcastle are reportedly monitoring the 21-year-old ahead of the January transfer window.

From Marrakech to Morocco's U20 triumph

Zabiri came through the Mohammed VI Football Academy after starting at KAC Marrakech. He made his senior debut for Union Touarga in January 2024, scoring three goals in 11 Botola Pro League appearances. He then joined Portuguese side Famalicao on a four-year deal for a fee of 600,000 euros at the start of the 2024-25 season.

His first season in Portugal was limited to six senior appearances, partly because of a muscle injury. He was still a regular for the Under-23s and the first team, and in the 2025-26 season he was named in Morocco's U20 World Cup squad despite playing only 47 minutes in Famalicao's first six league games. Morocco won the tournament, beating South Korea, the United States, France and Argentina in the knockout rounds. Zabiri scored five goals in seven matches, including both goals in the 2-0 final win over Argentina, and shared the Golden Boot. He also received the Player of the Match award and the Silver Ball for the tournament's second-best player.

A difficult spell in France

Back at Famalicao, Zabiri became a regular starter and scored five goals in seven starts between November and January. Rennes then signed him for a reported 12 million euros on deadline day in the winter window. His time in France was less successful. He never established himself in the starting XI, and he was relieved of his role after coach Habib Beye was replaced soon after his arrival. Under new coach Franck Haise, he did not start any of Rennes' final 14 Ligue 1 games of the season. Rennes then signed Eliezer Mayenda from Sunderland in July, and they looked for a loan move for Zabiri.

Zabiri said he was ill-suited to the French game. "In France, it is different, with more one-on-one situations and more duels," he said after joining Racing. "I prefer the football here, where I am more connected with my team-mates."

Hat-trick and a ruthless finishing record

Zabiri's breakthrough at Racing came in a 3-2 home win over Elche, where he scored a hat-trick. He capitalised on a mistake by Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro for the first goal, slotted in a low finish for the second, and completed his treble with an acrobatic volley shortly after the half-hour. Since then he has started eight of Racing's last nine league games, scoring in five of them.

Coach Jose Alberto Lopez praised him after the Elche match. "Zabiri has exceptional talent that allows him to make the difference in any situation," he told reporters. Lopez has also stressed the need for patience. "We need to be patient with this player. He should keep working and keep scoring goals."