Who is West Brom's new 20-year-old box-to-box midfielder Rabby Nzingoula | OneFootball

West Brom have signed 20-year-old box-to-box midfielder Rabby Nzingoula from Strasbourg on a three-year deal worth around £2 million. According to ExpressAndStar.com, he is James Morrison’s latest summer recruit.

Born in Lille to Congolese parents, he grew up in Grigny near Paris. Early asthma did not derail him as he started at US Grigny, spending nine years before two seasons with Orleans.

At 16 he joined Strasbourg’s academy, but a broken vertebra sidelined him for more than six months. He recovered to impress for the B team in the fifth tier, scoring three in 10 in 2023-24. That form caught the eye of first team manager Patrick Vieira, a 1998 World Cup winner.

He debuted at 18 in a 3-1 home defeat to Lorient in February 2024 and made seven Ligue 1 appearances before the season ended. Liam Rosenior replaced Vieira in summer 2024, and Nzingoula saw chances limited. He moved on loan to Montpellier for 2024-25, featuring 27 times as the club were relegated.

His displays brought France under-20 recognition, the 6ft midfielder earning 16 caps and playing in every game as France finished fourth at the Under-20 World Cup last year. He is also eligible for the Republic of Congo.

Back at Strasbourg he made only four appearances, then left on loan to Germany with FC Nurnberg in January. Working under Miroslav Klose, he played 15 times, scoring once, as Nuremberg finished eighth in the 2. Bundesliga.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”