Standard Liege has suffered a major setback. Young talent Ilian Hadidi has decided not to renew his contract and leaves the club transfer-free. This means that Standard is losing another promising player, despite a clear sports plan. Ilian Hadidi has been considered one of the biggest talents from Standard's youth academy for years. The 17-year-old offensive midfielder made the move from Seraing to Sclessin in 2016 and has since gone through all the youth ranks of the club. In recent weeks, both parties have been negotiating a new contract, but ultimately, the Moroccan youth international did not accept Standard's offer. As a result, he will leave the club this summer without a transfer fee. For the Rouches, this is a bitter pill, as Hadidi was seen as a player with potential for the first team. Standard had a concrete sports project for the young midfielder. After a strong season with the U18 and several appearances with the U23, it was the intention that Hadidi would join the A-team of coach Vincent Euvrard during the pre-season. The technical staff wanted to give him the opportunity to shine during the summer stage and earn a place in the selection. In addition, the departure of several experienced players seemed to create extra opportunities on the midfield. However, this was not enough to convince the player to stay longer at Sclessin. That Hadidi leaves does not mean that Standard will change its approach. The club management has made it clear in recent months that they are no longer willing to offer young players high contracts without them having proven themselves first. This new philosophy is intended to ensure that talents grow on the basis of performances and not just on the basis of their reputation. Standard wants to avoid getting into a financial bidding war with foreign clubs. In Hadidi's file, the club remained true to this line, despite the high expectations around the player. For Ilian Hadidi, a foreign adventure now seems the most likely option. Earlier, it was also heard that Club Brugge had shown interest, but that would no longer be the case. Several European clubs such as Feyenoord, Lille, Dortmund, Monaco, PSV and Ajax would be following the situation closely and making more financially attractive offers than Standard. As a result, an almost decade-long partnership between the player and the Liège club comes to an end. For the fans, this is a disappointment, as Hadidi had dreamed of breaking through to the first team of the Rouches. Standard must now continue to build its future and stick to its new policy. The club is aware of the risk of losing some big talents, but believes that its own sports and financial vision will be the right choice in the long term.