Issa Kabore arrived in Lisbon early on Friday morning to strengthen Benfica. The Eagles chose the right-back to compete with Dane Alexander Bach.
The Burkina Faso international joins on loan from Manchester City after successive loans to Troyes, Marseille and Luton Town. The 23-year-old defender is ultimately emerging as a (less expensive) alternative to first choice Zakaria El Ouahdi. Genk would not pay €10m for the 22-year-old Moroccan.
Kabore’s physical ability is one of his strengths. He uses speed and dribbling as his two main weapons. In terms of defense, there are some gaps in the positional plan.
Benfica will likely pay the transfer fee, as well as the player’s salary. At the end of the season, the African will terminate his contract with Manchester City (he has never represented the English team), which paid 4.5 million euros for his transfer in the 2020/2021 season.
Issa Kabore, who has played 40 times for his country, comes to fill the gap in the Benfica squad, which has had no alternative to Ba since Gilberto left in 2023. During this time, midfielder Orsnes has adapted to the position several times. In pre-season, striker Thiago Gouveia was also considered.