By Adegboyega Adeleye
Several African footballers changed clubs during the 2026 summer transfer window, with Premier League giants Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and Serie A side Fiorentina among the clubs completing major deals involving players from the continent.
The moves cut across the continent’s leading football nations, including Morocco, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana, while several of the players also featured for their countries at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Here are 10 African players who completed moves during the summer window:
1. Ayyoub Bouaddi — Lille to Manchester City
Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi joined Manchester City from Lille for an initial £81.3 million, becoming one of the biggest African transfers of the summer.
The 18-year-old signed a five-year contract with City after making 96 appearances for Lille. Bouaddi, who previously represented France at youth level, switched his international allegiance to Morocco and featured for the Atlas Lions at the 2026 World Cup.
The transfer was completed for an initial £81.3 million, with a further £4.3 million available in add-ons, taking the potential value to about £86 million.
2. Omar Marmoush — Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur
Egypt international Omar Marmoush moved from Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan, with the deal including an obligation to buy next summer.
The 27-year-old joined City from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025 and made 54 appearances for the club before moving to Spurs. The transfer carries an obligatory £50 million fee (next summer), with a further £10m available in performance-related add-ons.
3. Christ Inao Oulaï — Trabzonspor to Fiorentina
Ivory Coast midfielder Christ Inao Oulaï joined Fiorentina from Trabzonspor in a deal worth €26 million plus €4 million in bonuses.
The 20-year-old signed a contract with the Italian club after making 31 appearances for Trabzonspor during the previous season. Oulaï also featured for Ivory Coast at the 2026 World Cup.
4. Ismael Saibari — PSV Eindhoven to Bayern Munich
Morocco international Ismael Saibari completed his move from PSV Eindhoven to Bayern Munich for €50 million, which can rise to €55 million with performance-related add-ons.
The 25-year-old signed a contract until June 2031 after four seasons with PSV. Saibari helped the Dutch club win the Eredivisie before moving to Bayern and represented Morocco at the 2026 World Cup.
5. Mamadou Sangare — Lens to Brentford
Mali international Mamadou Sangare joined Brentford from French club Lens.
The 24-year-old midfielder signed for Brentford after helping Lens finish second in Ligue 1 and win the Coupe de France. He subsequently made his Premier League debut for the Bees and scored in their 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
Brentford described Sangare as a club-record signing, although the club did not disclose the transfer fee.
6. Raphael Onyedika — Club Brugge to Eintracht Frankfurt, €9m
Nigeria international Raphael Onyedika joined Eintracht Frankfurt from Belgian champions Club Brugge for €9 million.
The 25-year-old midfielder signed a contract until June 2031 after four seasons at Club Brugge, where he won two Belgian league titles, the Belgian Cup and Belgian Super Cup.
Onyedika also made 24 Champions League appearances during his time in Belgium.
7. Nicolas Jackson — Chelsea to Aston Villa
Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson completed a permanent move from Chelsea to Aston Villa.
The 25-year-old signed a five-year contract after three seasons at Stamford Bridge, where he scored 30 goals in 81 appearances.
Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023 and spent the previous season on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring 11 goals as the German club won the Bundesliga and German Cup.
Villa paid £47.5 million upfront, with the deal potentially rising by a further £17.5m in add-ons.
8. Ibrahim Mbaye — Paris Saint-Germain to Aston Villa, £47m
Senegal winger Ibrahim Mbaye joined Aston Villa from Paris Saint-Germain for £47 million.
The 18-year-old made his competitive PSG debut in August 2024 and played 24 matches for the French club during the 2025/26 season.
Mbaye also represented Senegal at the 2026 World Cup, scoring against France before completing his move to Villa.
9. Caleb Yirenkyi — Nordsjælland to Coventry City
Ghana midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi joined Coventry City from Danish club Nordsjælland in a club-record transfer.
The 20-year-old signed a long-term contract after being named the Danish Superliga Young Player of the Year and selected in the league’s Team of the Season in the previous campaign.
Yirenkyi also represented Ghana at the 2026 World Cup.
Coventry paid €27 million (£23.1m) for the midfielder, with a further €3 million (£2.5m) in potential add-ons.
10. Zadok Yohanna — AIK to Brighton & Hove Albion
Nigerian winger Zadok Yohanna joined Brighton & Hove Albion from Swedish club AIK for a reported fee of around £21.5 million (€28 million), making it a record sale for Swedish football.
The 18-year-old signed a five-year contract until June 2031, having moved to AIK from Nigeria’s Ikon Allah Football Academy in 2025.
Yohanna made 18 appearances for AIK during the 2026 season, scoring five goals and providing four assists before completing his move to Brighton.
Vanguard News
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