Most strikers who end up at Athletic Club arrive with a reputation already built. Maroan Sannadi arrived with a hot half season in the third tier and not much else. That's what makes him interesting. He's a 1.92 m centre-forward who reached La Liga at 24, picked Morocco over Spain, and then lost months of his first full top-flight campaign to knee surgery. His story isn't finished. It isn't even at the midpoint.
Sannadi in Brief
| Full name | Maroan Sannadi Harrouch |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 February 2001, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, Spain |
| Age in 2026 | 25 |
| Nationality | Spanish and Moroccan |
| Position | Centre-forward |
| Height | 1.92 m (about 6 ft 4 in) |
| Club | Athletic Club (joined February 2025) |
| International | Morocco, senior debut in 2025 |
| Contract | Reported to run until 2029 |
| Estimated net worth | US$2 million to US$4 million (Icon Polls estimate) |
| Salary | Not publicly confirmed |
Nobody's Wonderkid
Sannadi grew up in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the Basque capital, and learned the game in local football before moving into the wider Alavés structure. There was no viral academy clip, no bidding war at 16. He scored steadily for Alavés B and kept improving in the way strikers often do when they get regular minutes and a clear role.
Then came Barakaldo. On loan in the first half of 2024/25, he scored 11 league goals in 20 matches. In a division where centre-forwards spend most afternoons being leaned on by experienced defenders, that is a serious return. It was also enough to change his life. In February 2025, Athletic moved for him during the winter window.
That route matters when judging him. Fans who expected a ready-made La Liga finisher were always going to be disappointed. Fans who saw a late developer with obvious raw material have had more to work with.
What He Actually Does on the Pitch
His Athletic goal record started modestly, which is normal for someone jumping straight from the third tier to the top flight. The better way to watch him is to ignore the scoresheet for a few minutes and follow his movement.
- He's a reference point. When Athletic need to go direct, he gives them a tall target who can win the first ball and hold it.
- He works his back to goal. He protects possession long enough for midfielders and wide runners to arrive.
- He presses. Big strikers are sometimes excused from defensive work. Sannadi isn't, and he doesn't seem to want to be.
- He runs channels. He pulls centre-backs wide, which opens space for the players around him.
The gap is end product. Promising link play and physical presence need to become more goals, more assists and more complete 90-minute performances. That's the honest summary, and it's a fair one for a player at his stage.
The Knee
The timing was cruel. Sannadi opened the 2025/26 season with a goal and was pushing to become Athletic's main striker when a right-knee meniscus problem took over. Conservative treatment didn't settle it, so he had surgery in November 2025. Rehabilitation cost him several months before he returned to group training in 2026.
For a heavy, powerful forward, knee management isn't a side issue. It shapes how much he can press, how often he can play and how a club plans around him. The encouraging part is that the problem was dealt with properly rather than patched up. Match availability shifts week to week, though, so Athletic's latest squad news is the only reliable guide before a game.
Choosing Morocco
Born in Spain with Moroccan family roots, Sannadi was eligible for both. In 2025 he declared for Morocco and made his senior debut, capping a year in which his career moved faster than almost anyone could have predicted twelve months earlier. It was a logical call. Morocco's attack values exactly the physical, hard-working profile he offers, and it gives him a second stage on which to prove he belongs.
Money, With the Caveats
Icon Polls estimates Sannadi's net worth in 2026 at US$2 million to US$4 million. That is an editorial estimate, not a disclosed figure. It reflects the jump from lower-league wages to a La Liga contract, a long-term deal, international exposure and some potential for commercial work. Taxes, agent fees, family commitments and investments are private, so the real number could sit outside that range.
His Athletic salary has not been publicly verified, and we won't pretend otherwise. It's safe to say the move improved his earnings substantially. Beyond that, he is early in his top-flight earning years, and a regular scoring role for club and country would change the picture quickly.
Fees, Values and a Contract to 2029
Reports placed his initial transfer to Athletic in the low millions of euros, with add-ons possible. For a player who had been scoring in the third tier months earlier, that shows how sharply his stock rose at Barakaldo.
A transfer fee and a market value aren't the same thing, though. Value moves with goals, age, fitness, contract length and who's buying. A reasonable 2026 reading puts him somewhere in the several-million-euro range, with room to climb if he stays healthy. The deal reportedly running to 2029 is the key detail: Athletic hold control, so any future interest would have to meet their price.
About That FC 26 Card
In EA SPORTS FC 26, Sannadi makes sense as a Career Mode project: tall, still young enough to grow, and cheap compared with established strikers. His overall, potential and PlayStyles can shift with squad updates, so check the current in-game database rather than trusting a screenshot. In real-world terms, he's a developing target forward, not a finished star.
Off the Pitch
There is no verified public information that Sannadi is married, and he keeps his relationships out of view. His religious beliefs haven't been publicly confirmed either, and assuming them from heritage would be lazy guesswork. He has chosen to let his football do the talking, and that's where this profile stays.
The Season That Decides It
Here's the real question: can Sannadi turn a sharp rise into a stable top-flight career? Athletic is a demanding place to learn, Morocco adds pressure of its own, and the knee adds uncertainty. A healthy run of games and a few more goals would transform how people talk about him. Another long absence would make the Barakaldo spell look like the peak.
He's a long way from the conversation about the game's elite, but if you want to argue about who belongs there, cast your vote in our poll on the best football players of all time.
Short Answers
How old is Maroan Sannadi?
He was born on 1 February 2001, so he is 25 in 2026.
Did he play for Spain or Morocco?
Morocco. He was born in Spain but declared for Morocco and made his senior debut in 2025.
What was his injury?
A right-knee meniscus problem that required surgery in November 2025. He returned to group training in 2026 after rehabilitation.
