Rayane Bounida
Rayane Bounida is a Belgian Moroccan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for the Eredivisie club Ajax.
Regarded as a child prodigy, Bounida garnered significant media attention from a young age. By his 16th birthday, he had secured a sponsorship contract with Nike and amassed a significant social media following.
Club career
Early career
Bounida progressed through the youth academy of Anderlecht. During his time there, he was frequently featured in international media as a highly rated prospect. Attracting interest from major European clubs such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, it was announced on his sixteenth birthday that he would sign a professional contract with Ajax. The deal reportedly included an annual salary of €700,000.Ajax
2024–25 season
On 9 December 2024, Bounida made his senior debut for Ajax's reserve team, Jong Ajax, in an Eerste Divisie match against De Graafschap. He entered as an 86th-minute substitute and scored in stoppage time to secure a 2–0 victory.Bounida's progress was rewarded on 15 February 2025 with a contract extension, binding him to the club until June 2028 with an option for an additional year. Just one day later, on 16 February 2025, he made his first-team debut for Ajax in a 4–0 Eredivisie victory over Heracles Almelo, coming off the bench in the second half. He finished the campaign with 19 appearances and 6 goals for Jong Ajax, alongside his single senior outing.