Wrexham Set to Sign Issa Kabore and Jacques Ekomie

Wrexham are closing in on a double defensive swoop, with Issa Kabore set to join permanently from Manchester City and left-back Jacques Ekomie primed to arrive from Angers.

Kabore, a standout in last season’s Championship campaign, looks ready to finally cut the cord with City after seven separate loan spells. The 25-year-old Burkina Faso international played 32 times in all competitions for the Red Dragons in 2025-26 and became a key creative outlet from wing-back. His eight Championship assists were more than any other Wrexham player.

Now he is on the brink of making north Wales his long-term home.

City will still keep a stake in his future. The deal is worth up to £4.75m and includes a 20% sell-on clause as well as matching rights, underlining how highly the Premier League champions still rate a player who never kicked a ball for their senior side.

Kabore finds a home at last

Kabore’s journey to Wrexham has been long and restless. Manchester City signed him from Mechelen in 2020, then immediately sent him back to the Belgian club on loan. Troyes, Marseille, Luton Town, Benfica and Werder Bremen all followed on a carousel of temporary moves.

The breakthrough came on transfer deadline day last September, when he joined Wrexham and hit the ground sprinting. On his debut at Carrow Road, he set up two goals in a breathless 3-2 win over Norwich City, instantly announcing himself as a pillar of Phil Parkinson’s side.

From there, he barely missed a beat until November. A hamstring injury picked up on international duty with Burkina Faso halted his momentum and left a hole on Wrexham’s right flank. Kabore fought his way back to fitness in time for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, making his long-awaited return for his country before re-establishing himself as a regular in the second half of the season.

Now, with 55 caps to his name and a settled role as Wrexham’s rampaging right wing-back, he is finally stepping off the loan treadmill and out of the Etihad’s shadow.

Ekomie to strengthen the opposite flank

On the other side of the pitch, Ekomie is being lined up to solve a lingering problem. The Gabon international is in the final year of his contract with Angers and has drawn interest from West Ham United and Hamburg, but Wrexham are pushing hard to bring him to the Racecourse Ground.

Parkinson’s need on the left is obvious. Liberato Cacace arrived from Empoli in the summer of 2025 with high expectations, only for injuries to repeatedly derail his impact in north Wales. Ekomie would immediately deepen the manager’s options, offering balance to Kabore’s attacking thrust on the right.

If the deals are completed, Ekomie and Kabore will join full-back Danny Imray, goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and midfielder Ben Whiteman in a busy summer of recruitment aimed at hardening Wrexham for the rigours of another Championship campaign.

For Kabore, it is the end of a long wait for a permanent stage. For Wrexham, it is another clear sign they intend to stay in the fight near the sharp end of the division.