Le Mans ‘to sign’ Southampton’s Daouda Traoré on loan with option to buy | OneFootball

Daouda Traoré is close to leaving Southampton again, with newly promoted Le Mans set to take him on loan, according to L'Equipe.

The 20-year-old midfielder signed two summers ago and has yet to play a competitive minute for the club.

Le Mans are back in Ligue 1 after 16 years. This would be his first test in a top division. Survival is likely to be the aim.

Traoré arrived from OGC Nice in 2024 and immediately joined Valenciennes, making 33 appearances in the French third tier. Last season he was with Real Betis, mainly for their reserves.

The loan is understood to include an option to buy, giving Le Mans a straightforward path to a permanent deal if it goes well. Transfermarkt values him at around £340,000, a project rather than a finished product.

He was never in Southampton’s Championship plans. A top-flight shop window for a France Under-17 international could lift his price.

With a four-point deduction to claw back and a bloated squad to trim, moving a fringe wage while keeping a sell-on route open makes sense. A low-risk exit that could pay off.

Source: Sainstmarching.com