Wrexham Set to Sign Issa Kabore and Jacques Ekomie

Wrexham are closing in on a statement double swoop, with Issa Kabore set to join permanently from Manchester City and Jacques Ekomie poised to arrive from Angers.

Kabore, a standout performer on loan last season, is finally cutting the cord with City after seven temporary moves away from the Etihad. The 25-year-old Burkina Faso international is understood to be on the brink of a deal worth up to £4.75m, with City inserting a 20% sell-on clause and matching rights into the agreement.

For Wrexham, it is the logical next step. Kabore featured 32 times in all competitions in 2025-26 and drove Phil Parkinson’s side from wing-back, supplying eight assists in the Championship – more than any other Red Dragons player.

He exploded onto the scene at Carrow Road, delivering two assists on his debut in a 3-2 win over Norwich City that immediately underlined his attacking threat from the right. From there, he became a fixture in Parkinson’s XI until a hamstring injury on international duty with Burkina Faso in November halted his momentum.

The setback did not define his season. Kabore returned to action at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, pulling on the Burkina Faso shirt again before re-establishing himself in Wrexham’s side for the run-in, once more operating as an aggressive wing-back on the right.

His journey to north Wales has been a long one. Manchester City signed him from Mechelen in 2020 and sent him straight back to Belgium on loan. Stints with Troyes, Marseille, Luton Town, Benfica and Werder Bremen followed, yet not a single senior appearance came his way in a City shirt. It took a deadline-day move to Wrexham last September to give him a genuine home. Now that stay is set to become permanent.

On the opposite flank, Wrexham are moving to secure Ekomie from Angers, a deal that would reshape Parkinson’s left side. The Gabon international is into the final year of his contract in France and has drawn interest from West Ham United and Hamburg, but Wrexham are pushing to bring him to the Racecourse Ground.

The need is clear. Liberato Cacace arrived from Empoli in the summer of 2025, yet the New Zealand international’s time in north Wales has been repeatedly disrupted by injuries. Ekomie’s arrival would give Parkinson fresh power and balance on the left, complementing Kabore on the right.

Both full-backs are expected to join a growing list of summer recruits, with Danny Imray, goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and midfielder Ben Whiteman also set to bolster the squad. The pattern is obvious: Wrexham are arming Parkinson with depth and quality in key areas, particularly out wide.

Kabore’s impending exit from Manchester City closes a curious chapter – a 55-cap international, signed young and loaned across Europe, now finally stepping away without ever playing a senior minute for the Premier League champions. For Wrexham, it feels very different: the permanent signing of a player who has already proved he can drive a Championship campaign from the flanks.

If Kabore and Ekomie both walk out at the Racecourse this summer, Wrexham’s wing-backs won’t just be covered. They’ll be a weapon.