In our latest transfer roundup the theme of African footballers joining a revamped Saudi Pro League continued over the past week while a well-known defender joined Qatari football. Read more about the significant moves involving African players below and see the full list further down:
Click here to see the list of transfers in our previous roundup.
Six more African players completed transfers to the Saudi Pro League including forwards Odion Ighalo, Henry Onyekuru and Assan Ceesay. Veteran Nigerian striker Ighalo moved on from top side Al-Hilal to Al-Wehda on a free transfer while compatriot Onyekuru completed a transfer from Turkish football to Al-Fayha where he joins Zambian striker Fashion Sakala. The Gambia national team striker Ceesay will play at Damac FC after a season of mixed fortune at Italian Serie A club Lecce.
Defensive players also completed moves to the Saudi top tier including Senegalese defensive midfielder Mamadou Loum (loan to Al-Raed), Gabon national team regular Didier Ndong (Al-Riyadh) and Morocco defender Jawad El Yamiq (Al-Fayha). The highest priced transfer of an African player this week comes from Qatar where Al-Arabi spent €15 million to bring in Senegal national team defender Abdou Diallo from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.
Former Egypt national team regular Amr Warda headlines the list of players heading back to African club football after completing a free transfer from Cypriot football to rebuilding Moroccan giants Raja CA. Moroccan goalkeeper Ayoub Lakred, champion of the country’s Botola Pro with ASFAR, completed a move to Tanzanian giants Simba SC where he will compete for the starting position.
Egyptian big spenders Pyramids FC continued their raid of fellow Egyptian Premier League side Future FC, bringing in defender Mahmoud Marei who joins fellow Future players Mohanad Lasheen and Mohamed Reda as well as Congolese striker Fiston Mayele at the club with big ambitions. Kaizer Chiefs released Burundian striker Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana while Ghana Premier League side Medeama SC acquired Zimbabwean and former Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and most recently SuperSport United attacker Kudakwashe Mahachi for the club’s CAF Champions League campaign.
See the full list of transfers and the fees for each below.
Transfers of note
Abdou Diallo (SEN): RB Leipzig (GER) ⇒ Al-Arabi SC (QAT) €15 million
Henry Onyekuru (NGA): Adana Demirspor (TUR) ⇒ Al-Fayha (KSA) €3.2 million
Assan Ceesay (GAM): Lecce (ITA) ⇒ Damac FC (KSA) €2.5 million
Show (ANG): Ludogorets (BUL) ⇒ Maccabi Haifa (ISR) €1.2 million
Jawad El Yamiq (MAR): Real Valladolid (ESP) ⇒ Al-Wehda (KSA) €1 million
Mahmoud Marei (EGY): Future FC (EGY) ⇒ Pyramids FC (EGY) €1 million
Odion Ighalo (NGA): Al-Hilal (KSA) ⇒ Al-Wehda (KSA) Free Transfer
Didier Ndong (GAB): Dijon (FRA) ⇒ Al-Riyadh (KSA) Free Transfer
Thibang Phete (RSA): Al-Bataeh (UAE) ⇒ Chaves (POR) Free Transfer
Amr Warda (EGY): Apollon Limassol (CYP) ⇒ Raja CA (MAR) Free Transfer
Ayoub Lakred (MAR): ASFAR (MAR) ⇒ Simba SC (TZA)
Kudakwashe Mahachi (ZIM): Free Agent ⇒ Medeama SC (GHA)
Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana (BDI): Kaizer Chiefs (RSA) ⇒ Free Agent
Mamadou Loum (SEN): FC Porto (POR) ⇒ Al-Raed (KSA) Loan
Billel Messaoudi (ALG): KV Kortrijk (BEL) ⇒ Göztepe (TUR) Loan
