The midfielder who became the Saudi Pro League's most expensive departure
In short: From the youth academies of Paris to the heights of the Saudi Pro League, Seko Fofana’s career is a journey of high-stakes transfers and remarkable resilience. Discover how a player once part of a historic protest against racism became a record-breaking export for the Middle Eastern league.
Born in Paris in 1995, Seko Fofana’s early footballing years were defined by steady progression through the French system, moving from Paris FC to Lorient before arriving at Manchester City in 2013. His time in England was marked by both promise and profound difficulty; during a friendly against HNK Rijeka, Fofana and his Manchester City U21 teammates famously walked off the pitch to protest racial abuse from an opponent, an act of solidarity praised by then-manager Patrick Vieira.
Fofana’s career path has been a nomadic series of influential spells across Europe and the Middle East. After stints at Fulham and Bastia, he moved to Serie A with Udinese in a deal worth £2.5 million. However, it was his time at Lens that cemented his reputation in France. Between 2020 and 2022, he earned Ligue 1 Player of the Month honors and won the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé as the top African player in the league, following a season where he netted eight goals in 37 matches.
The midfielder's recent years have been defined by massive transfer figures. In 2023, he moved to Al Nassr for an estimated €25 million. His subsequent return to France with Rennes in early 2025 involved a €20 million fee, a transaction that established a new benchmark as the highest-value sale ever recorded from the Saudi Pro League. While he was eligible for France, Fofana ultimately chose to represent the Ivory Coast, making his international debut in 2017.
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