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Hertha Target Bellaid To Replace Simunic

With veteran centre back Josip Simunic being tipped to leave the club this summer, Hertha Berlin are in the hunt for a new defender and reports claim that Strasbourg’s Habib Bellaid is the number one target of Hertha trainer Lucien Favre.

Croatian defender Josip Simunic is certainly not flavour of the month at the Olympiastadion right now after a number of gaffes and he was culpable again at the weekend with Hertha only having referee Babak Rafati to thank for Nürnberg not being awarded a clear penalty.

It is a fairly open secret that Lucien Favre is looking to shift on the Croat, and that they are in the hunt for a new centre back. That centre back appears to be Strasbourg youngster Habib Bellaid.

The 22 year old was born in Paris to a French mother and Tunisian father and chosen to represent his country of birth. He has played for France at all junior levels and has 9 under-21 caps to his name.

He made his debut in Ligue 1 for Strasbourg aged 19 and has gone on to make 46 appearances for the Alsace side.

Bellaid is a classic central defender, tall, and good in the air. With Strasbourg suffering relegation this season, he will be available for as little as €1.5 million this summer despite having a contract until 2011.

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