According to a report from Foot Mercato, Saudi side Al-Shabab have made an official offer to Lyon for out-of-favour striker Karl Toko Ekambi. The Cameroon international has played for Lyon since 2020, having accrued 32 goals and 15 assists across 92 Ligue 1 games for Les Gones. His time at the club may soon be over, however. Toko Ekambi wants to leave, and Lyon want to sell.
The 30-year-old has a good record in Ligue 1 (160 apps: 56 goals, 26 assists), where he previously played for Angers SCO. A stint in La Liga saw Ekambi at Villarreal for one-and-a-half seasons, where he scored 16 goals and provided four assists in the Spanish top flight. He was loaned to Lyon in January of 2020 for half a season, after which he transferred on a permanent deal for €11.5 million that June.
The striker is now ready for a move elsewhere, with Riyadh-based Al-Shabab interested in acquiring him on loan with an option to buy. Toko Ekambi has not publicly expressed a desire to move to the Middle East, with Premier League relegation contenders Southampton also interested. Rennes manager Bruno Génésio has named the forward among the club’s potential targets to replace the injured Martin Terrier.
GFFN | Brendan Cox
