FC Metz have signed defender Idris Mohamed from Puy Foot 43 on a four-year contract, the club announced on Friday. The transfer will see Metz pay at least €300,000 to the Ligue 3 side, with potential bonuses also included in the agreement. The move comes after a separate deal for Colombian defender Cristian Devenish fell through at the last minute.
Negotiations with Devenish broke down due to disagreements over a potential future sell-on percentage, according to L’Équipe. Devenish had travelled to Metz to undergo a medical, but the club deemed the demands of his representatives too high. He has since returned to Portugal to continue training with his current club, which was recently relegated to the second division.
Metz quickly pivoted to Mohamed as an alternative, having monitored his progress for several months. The club’s sporting director, Frédéric Arpinon, had observed the 1.96m tall centre-back on multiple occasions, including matches against Versailles and Paris 13 Atlético. Mohamed has four caps for the Comoros national team and participated in the Africa Cup of Nations in December, although he did not feature in any matches.
Mohamed’s arrival bolsters Metz’s central defence alongside recent free signing Jean Ruiz, and academy prospects Adam Marchal and Abdoulaye Nassoko. Manager Luc Holtz is still evaluating Marchal and Nassoko, with the possibility of loaning at least one of them out before the transfer window closes. The future of Michel Mboula remains uncertain, with the Gabon international potentially leaving the club before the end of the summer transfer window. Metz are aiming for a direct return to Ligue 1 after being relegated last season, and this signing is intended to strengthen their chances of achieving that goal.
The addition of Mohamed provides competition and depth in a key position as Metz look to solidify their defensive line for their Ligue 2 campaign.
