Process for preparing a catalyst comprising a nickel active phase and an alumina support, said catalyst comprising between 1% and 50% by weight of elemental nickel relative to the total weight of the catalyst, the nickel being distributed both over a crust at the periphery of the support, and at the core of the support, which process comprises the following steps:



a) said support is impregnated with a volume V1 of a heptanol solution of between 0.2 and 0.8 times the total pore volume TPV of said support in order to obtain an impregnated support;
b) the impregnated support obtained at the end of step a) is impregnated with a solution comprising a precursor of the nickel active phase in order to obtain a catalyst precursor;
c) the catalyst precursor obtained at the end of step b) is dried at a temperature below 250° C.