Asante Kotoko forward Franck Mbella Thierry Etouga close to signing a deal with French Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne
Ghana Premier League leading top scorer Franck Mbella Thierry Etouga is close to signing a three year contract with French Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne, according to reports.
The Cameroon attacker completed a 3-year move to Asante Kotoko from Cameroonian side AS Fortuna in October 2021 and has risen to prominence in his first season bagging 16 goals in 24 GPL games.
His exploit has propelled Asante Kotoko into comfortable Premier League lead. The 22-year old’s performance has attracted huge interest with African giants Al Ahly, Turkish outfit Galatasaray, Mertz and Stade Rennais all from France eyeing a move for the forward at the end of the season.
Futball Surgery reported few weeks ago that Al Ahly would beat off competition from interested clubs to emerge as favourites for Mbella Etouga’s signature in summer.
Another French side Saint-Étienne have entered the race for the Cameroonian International with reports claiming Ligue 1 side are the new favourites to sign Franck Thierry Mbella Etouga at the end of this season.
Saint-Étienne have watched Mbella in the Ghana Premier League and are way impressed of quality of the forward. In what becomes a major blow for Al Ahly, the Ligue 1 side have made their interest official as early as possible before Ahly’s move. Saint-Étienne have reportedly submitted a $800,000-1.2million bid to Asante Kotoko, Futball Surgery could not verify the exact transfer fee for Mbella.
The French side battle for French Ligue 1 survival sitting in relegation zone 18th position in 20-club league after picking only 6 victories in 31 games. Their position on the log at the end of the season will reportedly not affect their move for Mbella.
They are currently on the negotiation table with Asante Kotoko and the Ghanaian club have been tempted to sell the Cameroonian International though there is a division in the management over the ideal transfer fee.
Some management members are tempted to accept the current offer while the other section are said to delay in agreeing deal with Saint-Étienne amid the idea that Mbella would score more goals to raise his value.
Despite the division which could potentially hamper the transfer, the deal appears to be edging closer to completion after the club’s management forwarding Saint-Étienne’s offer to the Board of Directors- a stage seen as crucial in cashing in on a player, claimed a close source to Futball Surgery.
The source said, “if Kotoko will not sell a player, the management will communicate feed back sooner than later to an interested club- (that Kotoko will not sell a player). But once, an offer is submitted from management to Board level, it means a lot, where a deal will be agreed, narrated the source. It’s believed that Kotoko may negotiate for a 12% onward transfer fee- which that will become one of the highest in the club’s history.
If the words of our source are anything to go by, Asante Kotoko will agree a deal with Saint-Étienne before the current season end. That will see Mbella signing a 3-year deal with the French side.
Once, a deal is agreed, Mbella will have his preferred transfer destination come to pass after reportedly not interest in any North African move when he heard of Al Ahly’s interest.
