FTC is delighted to announce the first arrival of the 2023/2024 winter transfer season: 28-year-old defensive midfielder Habib Maïga of FC Metz, a French first division club, will continue his career at our men's football team!

Introduction

Habib Maïga was born on 1 January 1996 in Gagnoa, Côte d'Ivoire. He learned the basics of football at local club SC Gagnoa, from where he was signed by French club Saint-Étienne in January 2015. Here he first played for the B team. Maïga was promoted to the first team in March 2017, but left the club between February 2018 and June 2018, when he was on loan at Arsenal Tula in Russia. Following his return, another loan move followed, with Saint-Étienne transferring Habib Maïga's playing rights to FC Metz for the following season. At the end of the loan, Metz bought Maïga permanently and he has been with Metz ever since.

Over the years, Maïga made 1 appearance in the Russian top flight, 47 in the French second division and 99 in the French first division. He has made seven appearances for FC Metz this season, most recently playing 62 minutes against Paris SG on 20 December.

Interestingly, his most recent head coach at the French club was Târgu Mures-born László Bölöni.