The French transfer market continues to heat up as clubs finalize their squads for the upcoming 2025-2026 season. Monday brought a flurry of activity, with significant departures at AS Saint-Étienne, a key player at Lille drawing Premier League interest, Angers bolstering their ranks from Lens, and ongoing movements at Toulouse and Montpellier.
ASSE Undergoes Major Overhaul
AS Saint-Étienne, fresh off their relegation to Ligue 2, is determined to secure an immediate return to the top flight. This ambition is clearly reflected in their summer transfer strategy. After making permanent moves for Irvin Cardona and Maxime Bernauer and bringing in Mahmoud Jaber, the focus has now shifted to departures.
With June 30 marking the end of many contracts, Boubacar Fall, Yunis Abdelhamid, Anthony Briançon (whose move to Pau is now official), Léo Pétrot, and Ibrahima Wadji have all seen their deals expire. While some might still be retained, Ibrahim Sissoko‘s departure is confirmed as he’s been transferred to Bochum. ASSE’s summer clear-out is well underway.
Lille’s Diakité Targeted, Angers Secures Koffi
In Northern France, Lille, who are reportedly set to welcome veteran striker Olivier Giroud, could face a significant loss in their defensive ranks. Bournemouth has reportedly made Bafodé Diakité a priority to bolster their defense, which is set to lose Dean Huijsen and likely Illya Zabarnyi. Discussions between the two clubs have reportedly begun, according to L’Equipe.
Meanwhile, Angers officially announced the arrival of goalkeeper Hervé Koffi on Monday. The Burkinabe international, who was expected to be a backup at Lens, joins Angers on a dry loan, without an option to buy. To replace him, RCL is reportedly close to signing Régis Gurtner as their new number two, according to Foot Mercato.
Read: PSG Pays 13 Million for a Defensive Surprise
Departures at Toulouse and Montpellier
Toulouse has also been active in terms of outgoing transfers. On Monday, the TFC announced the permanent departure of César Gelabert to Gijon. After a convincing season in Spain, Gelabert will remain with Sporting, who are aiming for a return to La Liga, a division they haven’t seen since 2017. He spent just one season wearing the Toulouse colors.
Finally, Montpellier, despite their relegation to Ligue 2, remains active in the transfer market. Foot Mercato reports an agreement with Augsburg for Nathanaël Mbuku in recent hours. A loan with a €1.8 million purchase option is said to have been agreed upon, but the highly sought-after player has not yet made a decision on his future destination.
While Mbuku’s situation is pending, MHSC officially confirmed the departure of Dimitry Bertaud. The club posted on X: “Good luck, Dim. A child of the club since 2011, winner of the Coupe Gambardella in 2017, thank you for these many years defending the Paillade shirt, we wish you good luck for the rest of your career.”
