Gbamin is now close to joining the Ligue 2 club who currently occupy one of the French second division’s relegation spots. The former Mainz midfielder was keen to return to France and move closer to his family who currently reside in Lille. The 28-year-old was close to joining CSKA Moscow in 2022 but no move ever materialised. 

The Ivorian midfielder will sign with Dunkerque on a contract until the end of the season. He spent last year on loan with Trabzonspor and made 20 appearances. Gbamin’s time at Everton was ravaged by injuries, with the midfielder missing a total of 99 games for club and country during his time on Merseyside. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Le Havre are known for their youth recruitment, and for bringing through some of the top talents in French football. Sale has been a big part of that and was responsible for the arrivals of Paul Pogba and Benjamin Mendy in particular. He has spent 18 years at the club in two spells (2000-12 and then 201-2023). 

Sale has now resigned from his role at the Ligue 1 club, as reported by L’Équipe. He had already been close to leaving the club back in July 2022, before ultimately remaining with the club for their first season back in the top-flight. He will now join Ligue 2 side Dunkerque, where he will hold the role of the head of recruitment for the first team as well as the club’s youth team. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The France U20 international will spend the 2023-24 with the Northern outfit. Koumetio, a former Olympique Lyonnais and Orléans youth product, joined Liverpool’s U19 side on a free transfer back in January 2019. Koumetio has made just two appearances for the senior side, including a cameo against Midtjylland in a Champions League dead rubber. The France U20 international has played 49 times for the club’s U21 side, and 21 times for the U18 side. 

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This past campaign, Koumetio was sent out on loan to Austria Vienna, but he only featured 11 times for the side, starting in the Austrian Bundesliga on three occasions. In need of playing time to break through the ranks of Jürgen Klopp’s side, Koumetio had no choice but to be loaned out again. He has now agreed to join Dunkerque in France’s second tier. He will wear the #89 jersey with Les Maritimes.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

Koumetio, who came through the ranks at Olympique Lyonnais and Orléans, joined Liverpool’s U19 side on a free transfer back in January 2019. The France U20 international has made just two appearances for the senior side but has played 49 times for the club’s U21 side, and 21 times for the U18 side. 

Last season, Koumetio was sent out on loan to Austria Vienna. He went on to make 11 appearances for the side, starting in the Austrian Bundesliga on three occasions. However, to continue his development, Koumetio is in need of more game time and so he is set to go out on loan once again, this time to Ligue 2. According to L’Équipe, he will join USL Dunkerque, who have one win, one draw and two losses in their opening four league matches of the season. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

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The former Stade Rennais youth product, who signed his first professional contract with Lille this summer, wasted no time in making an impression for his first start. The winger showed remarkable pace and dribbling ability to beat his man before forcing the Dunkerque goalkeeper to make a save – Rémy Cabella followed it up in finding the back of the net. Fonseca rang the changes at half-time and Malouda was subbed off.

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Aaron Malouda will certainly be one of the prospects to keep an eye on this upcoming Ligue 1 season, and not only because the resemblance with his father is uncanny.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

A letter of intention has been signed both by the prospective new owners and the current shareholders of the Dunkirk side, Douglas Broucke and Eddy Dobbelaere.

Ahead of a potential sale of the northern side, a Turkish delegation is expected to arrive in the coastal town in the next few hours in order to carry out an initial audit. Should the acquisition go through, the new owners are expected to name former striker Demba Ba – who notably turned out for Newcastle and Chelsea, and more recently Istanbul Başakşehir – in a role as a director.

Dunkerque secured promotion on the final day of the National campaign with a dramatic away win against Le Mans, a late winner from Rayan Ghrieb securing second place.

What are the promotion permutations?

A thrilling promotion race will find its conclusion on Friday evening, with four sides still fighting for the two promotion spots in the league:

• Currently top of the table on goal difference, Concarneau travel to Orléans with the chance of securing promotion with a win.
• Dunkerque, level on points with the Breton side, face Le Mans away and a win would also open the doors to Ligue 2.
• As for Red Star, they must win their game and hope that Concarneau or Dunkerque do not win. In the case that either one or both Concarneau and Dunkerque draw, promotion will be decided by the record against each team. 
• After their unbelievable defeat by bottom-placed Bastia-Borgo last week, when they had the chance to secure promotion, Martigues welcome Versailles to their home on the outskirts of Marseille. To qualify, they must win their game and hope that two of their rivals slip up.

Nancy, Châteauroux, and Avranches all at risk of the drop to National 2 (4th tier)

The battle for survival is just – if not more as intense. This year the Championnat National has had the added precocity of six relegation places. This means that some big former Ligue 2 sides have been dragged into the mix all season, and still could go down on the final day.

• Bourg-Péronnas, currently 14th, must win their game against Nancy (13th) if they are to have any chance of avoiding relegation. However, their fate also depends on the result of Châteauroux, who must also win to ensure their safety and potentially relegate either Bourg-Péronnas or Nancy.
• US Avranches, currently 11th, are not yet safe and could be relegated if either Bourg-Péronnas or Nancy win their games and Avranches lose theirs.
• As for 10th-placed Le Mans, they could also be drawn into the relegation battle if they lose their match and Bourg-Péronnas, Nancy and Châteauroux all win their games.

GFFN | George Boxall

Photo Credit: Bazil Fleury – @icietailleurs55 on Instagram.

Highlight on Habib Beye and Red Star’s defensive record – the third-best in France’s top 3 divisions

Former Marseille and Newcastle defender Habib Beye was pleased with his side’s performance in the Parisian derby against Paris 13 on Tuesday evening, speaking on Red Star’s social channels. Beye said that his side “had a strategy in place at the start that worked well and we were rewarded with a goal.” Former Angers veteran and Red Star’s eminent captain Cheick N’Doye (37) nodded in emphatically a cross from local lad Jovany Ikanga (21) to give L’Étoile Rouge the lead on the 29th minute.

However, it took some mental resilience and some organised defending to see off what was an aggressive Paris 13 side in the second half, fighting for their lives in the relegation places in the bottom six. Les Audoniens saw off the offensive, and Beye was pleased with the defensive solidarity that his side showed, explaining that his team has “built a very effective defensive block this season and it is a real satisfaction to see. Last season we were really offensive but we had the tendency to concede a lot of goals, this year we’ve kept a similar attacking dynamic but improved our defensive structure”. 

Red Star are indeed more defensively robust this season. They possess, in fact, the best defensive record in the third tier having conceded only 22 goals this season. Only Le Havre (14) and Lens (21) have a better defensive record in the top 3 divisions of French football this season.

The Championnat National table as of 28th March 2023

At the weekend, there will be a key clash between Dunkerque and Red Star which could once again shift the balance of what has been one of the tightest races for promotion to Ligue 2 in recent years. Meanwhile, current leaders Martigues travel to struggling Le Puy, whilst Versailles host Châteuroux at Paris’s Stade Jean Bouin. In the Monday Canal+ fixture, Concarneau will host Sedan. 

GFFN | George Boxall

Photo Credit: Bazil Fleury – @icietailleurs55 on Instagram.

Parisian suburban side Red Star FC looked like they were slipping away from the title race in recent weeks, but Les Audoniens ground out a 2-1 win at home against Orléans, playing the last quarter of the match with 10-men after a double yellow for Aniss El Hriti.

A breakthrough season for young striker Jovany Ikanga continues with a brace on his 21st birthday to bring some clinical edge to the side. A goal from Esteban Lepaul in the 66th minute made it a nervy ending for the faithful housed in Stade Bauer’s Tribune Rino Della Negra.

A vital win comes in a vital week for Beye’s side, who travel to Parisian locals Paris 13 Athletico on Tuesday followed by a trip to promotion rivals Dunkerque on Saturday. 

Red Star’s win keeps them within 2 points of the top two, aided by some favourable results to keep the gap excruciatingly tight. The first of which was Versailles draw away at Cholet – a missed opportunity for Les Bleus to go clear at the top of the table before Marseille-based Martigues play on Monday evening against Le Mans. 

The Championnat National table as of 25th March 2023

In a similar fashion, Breton side Concarneau were held to a 1-1 draw against Villefranche, another goal coming late on in the game to deny another team pushing for promotion. 

With around eight games to play for most teams, the top five is separated by only two points. There are no play-off places on offer this season due to a league restructuring, which means from now until the end of the season it is a straight shoot-out for promotion to the fully-professional Ligue 2.

GFFN | George Boxall

Dunkerque were staring down the barrel of a 2-1 defeat to Villefranche when Rayan Ghrieb equalised in the third minute of injury time with a low finish. It got even better for Les Maritimes in the 96th minute when Yannick M’Bone rose highest from a free-kick to put the home side ahead and send the Stade Marcel-Tribut into delirium. 

It was a win for the Seasiders which pushed Habib Beye’s Red Star FC down to fifth. Les Audoniens went ahead against Bourg-en-Bresse through a low finish from captain Chieck N’Doye in the second half, but some suspect defending from a corner in the 74th minute saw the home side equalise, as L’Étoile Rouge miss yet another opportunity to build momentum. They now remain four points from second place with a game in hand.

Red Star will, however, be thankful that FC Versailles did not take advantage on Monday evening against Le Mans, the pair playing out a 0-0 draw at the Stade Marie-Marvingt.

The FFF Championnat National as 20th March 2023

Note: only the top two teams are promoted with no play-off places due to a league restructuring. 

Meanwhile Martigues continued their surprise push for double promotion as league leaders thanks to goals from Yanis Zouaoui, Mohamed Mara, with former Marseille and Real Betis man Foued Kadir getting on the scoresheet in injury time to breeze past 10th-placed Avranches (3-0). The side hailing from the suburbs of Marseille are still only one point clear at the top of the table with 44 points. 

After their major slip-up last week against Châteauroux (4-2) Concarneau managed to edge past Saint-Brieuc (1-0) in a Breton derby which saw the away side go down to ten men, with the home side scoring a vital penalty through Antoine Rabillard in the 17th minute as they edge closer to Versailles with a game in hand. 

GFFN | George Boxall