Wrexham Set to Sign Issa Kabore and Jacques Ekomie for Defensive Strength
Wrexham are closing in on a double defensive swoop, with Issa Kabore set to join permanently from Manchester City and Jacques Ekomie lined up from Angers.
Kabore, a key figure in Wrexham’s Championship campaign last season, looks finally ready to cut ties with City after seven separate loan spells. The 25-year-old Burkina Faso international is poised to complete a deal worth up to £4.75m, with City inserting a 20% sell-on clause and matching rights into the agreement.
Wrexham's statement move: Kabore played 32 times in all competitions in 2025-26 and delivered eight assists in the Championship – more than any other Red Dragons player.
From right-back, often pushing on as a wing-back, he gave Phil Parkinson’s side a constant outlet and an edge in transition.
His debut set the tone. Thrown straight in, Kabore produced two assists in a breathless 3-2 win over Norwich City at Carrow Road, instantly endearing himself to the travelling support. He then became a fixture in Parkinson’s line-up until a hamstring injury, suffered on international duty in November, stalled his momentum.
The setback did not define his season. Kabore returned to feature at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for Burkina Faso, adding to a cap collection that now stands at 55, before re-establishing himself in Wrexham’s side during the run-in.
For Manchester City, his exit closes a chapter that never truly began at the Etihad. Signed from Mechelen in 2020 and immediately loaned back to the Belgian club, Kabore never made a senior appearance for City. Spells at Troyes, Marseille, Luton Town, Benfica and Werder Bremen followed, before Wrexham snapped him up on transfer deadline day last September. Now, at last, he has a permanent home.
On the opposite flank, Wrexham are moving to secure Ekomie from Angers as they try to solve a lingering problem at left-back. The Gabon international has entered the final year of his contract in France and has drawn interest from Championship rivals West Ham United and German side Hamburg, but Wrexham are pushing to get the deal over the line.
The need is obvious. Liberato Cacace arrived from Empoli in the summer of 2025 to lock down the left side, only for injuries to repeatedly derail his impact in north Wales. Ekomie’s arrival would give Parkinson a much-needed injection of reliability and athleticism on that flank.
If both deals are completed, Wrexham’s full-back stable will look markedly stronger. Kabore and Ekomie are expected to join Danny Imray, goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and midfielder Ben Whiteman among the summer arrivals at the Racecourse Ground, reshaping the spine and the edges of Parkinson’s team in one window.
Kabore’s journey, from perennial loanee to cornerstone signing, mirrors Wrexham’s own evolution. The club that once shopped for short-term fixes is now paying Premier League money for a defender it trusts to carry them into the next phase.
The question now is simple: with Kabore locked in and Ekomie on the way, just how far can this rebuilt Wrexham side push in the Championship?
