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Algerian winger Mohamed El Bachir Belloumi, son of former "Desert Warriors" national team star Lakhdar, has turned heads much like his Hull City team in the English Football League, recalling the brilliance of his compatriot Riyad Mahrez with Leicester City and Manchester City.
Belloumi, who occupies the right-wing position much like Mahrez, has played four league matches so far, scoring two goals with one assist.
The 24-year-old scored his first two league goals on Saturday within the span of six minutes (28th, 34th) with two left-footed shots, although the second goal benefited from a deflected ball off Chelsea defenders.
He turned the tables on the London club, which had taken the lead through Morgan Rogers (7th) before Brazilian Joao Pedro equalized (66th).
His two goals earned the "Tigers", who are in third place, a valuable point at Stamford Bridge.
This brilliance did not go unnoticed by the Premier League, as its official Arabic-language account reacted by posting a picture of him alongside Mahrez accompanied by the caption "The legacy continues."
It seems Belloumi is taking the exact same path as Mahrez in England, as the latter contributed to Leicester City's return to the Premier League in 2014, which is what young Belloumi did with Hull City last summer.
Mahrez subsequently shone by leading Leicester City to the league title in the 2016 season before winning all possible domestic and continental titles with Manchester City—a journey Belloumi hopes to achieve, relying on the quality, speed, and strong personality he possesses on the pitch, making him a promising talent and a target for top clubs in the near future.
He doesn't care who he faces
Belloumi, whose transfer market value is six million euros, is playing his third season with the "Tigers". After contributing to their return to the Premier League for the first time in 10 years, he is currently playing at a level he has never approached before in his football career.
The 24-year-old native of Mascara (1.77 m) played a decisive role in keeping Hull City's unbeaten record across four matches, including a precious 2-0 win over Manchester United.
He has caused a lot of trouble for his opponents in the top-flight league so far. Manchester United defender Luke Shaw found it difficult to deal with him, he also created the winning goal for Liam Millar against Coventry City, and Dutchman Ian Maatsen in turn faced problems in limiting his threat during the goalless draw with Aston Villa.
Hull City assistant manager Dean Holden stated to the club's channel that he was always convinced Belloumi was capable of handling the challenge of moving to the Premier League and adapting to it smoothly.
He added, "He's a top-class player, a wonderful player. Obviously, he suffered some injuries, but he had a good pre-season, and he is playing with freedom now, and he has excellent rhythm, and whenever he receives the ball in attacking areas you feel something is going to happen. And for us, keeping him physically fit and keeping him on the pitch will be crucial."
He continued, "I think he also proved last season his ability to play within different tactical systems. I don't think (Mo) cares much about that; as long as he is near the midfield with the ball between his feet, I don't think he cares who he faces or the system he is playing in."
He added, "He loves one-on-one situations, and he is magical when the ball is at his feet. And the current system suits the majority of players in this period, and he fits into it perfectly."
He explained, "He has real quality in the way he plays, and he is a very important element for us, and we are of course happy that he is fit and performing well."
Like his father Lakhdar, one of Algeria's best players and one of Africa's best, he started his football career in the youth ranks of his hometown representative, Ghali Mascara, followed by MC Oran (2020-2021: 28 matches and 3 goals), then Portugal's Farense (2022-2024: 34 matches and 7 goals), before landing at Hull City, which he hopes will finally be his gateway to the ranks of the Algerian national team, for which he has not played a single match yet, having sufficed with one appearance for the reserve team.
With Mahrez retiring and shining in the Premier League, young Belloumi hopes to convince the new coach Ibrahim Hamdani to call him up to the national team squad despite fierce competition with other prominent names, foremost among them Feyenoord's Dutch-based winger Anis Hadj Moussa, Fares Ghedjemis (Italian club Frosinone), Ilane Kebbal (French club Paris FC), and Badredine Bouanani (Scottish club Rangers).
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