Wrexham Near Permanent Deal for Issa Kabore from Manchester City
Wrexham are on the verge of turning Issa Kabore’s loan into a permanent signing from Manchester City, tying down one of last season’s key weapons in their Championship push.
The Burkina Faso right-back, who operated as a marauding wing-back under Phil Parkinson, played 32 times in all competitions for the Red Dragons in 2025-26. He finished the campaign as their leading provider in the league, with eight Championship assists – more than any other Wrexham player.
For Kabore, 25, the move would finally bring an end to a long and winding Manchester City chapter. Signed from Mechelen in 2020, he never made a senior appearance for City and was sent out on seven separate loans: back to Mechelen, then Troyes, Marseille, Luton Town, Benfica, Werder Bremen and, finally, Wrexham on transfer deadline day last September.
He did not take long to justify that late-window gamble. Kabore’s debut for Wrexham was close to perfect: two assists at Carrow Road as the Welsh side edged Norwich City 3-2, an early statement that he was built for the pace and chaos of the Championship.
From there, he became a fixture in Parkinson’s side, a constant outlet on the flank until his momentum was checked by a hamstring injury on international duty with Burkina Faso during the November break. The setback sidelined him for club duty but did not define his season.
Kabore returned on the biggest stage his country can offer, featuring at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and then slotted back into Wrexham’s second-half campaign as if he had never been away. His blend of athleticism and end product turned the wing-back role into a genuine attacking platform for a team adjusting to life in the second tier.
By the time the season closed, Kabore had become one of the emblematic faces of Wrexham’s resurgence. Now, with a permanent exit from the Etihad Stadium close, the 55-cap international looks set to swap years of uncertainty for a settled home in north Wales.
Parkinson has already been busy reshaping his squad this summer. Full-back Danny Imray, goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and midfielder Ben Whiteman have arrived, but the manager has been clear he wants more depth and quality at wing-back. Kabore’s signing would tick that box emphatically.
The recruitment drive is unlikely to stop there. Wrexham are also exploring a move for left-back Jacques Ekomie from French side Angers, while Parkinson is open to adding a centre-back and an attacking midfielder before the 23:00 BST transfer deadline on 1 September.
All of this comes off the back of a landmark season. Wrexham finished seventh in the Championship in their first campaign at that level for 43 years, a return that sharpened expectations as much as it delighted supporters.
They open the new season on Friday night at the Racecourse Ground against Birmingham City (20:00 BST). If Kabore’s permanent switch is completed in time, the crowd will not just be welcoming back a familiar face. They will be greeting a player who chose Wrexham as the club where his career truly begins.
