Aboubaka Soumahoro is being linked with a return to French football, with Hamburg centre-back reportedly on Saint-Étienne’s radar as the Ligue 2 club weigh up defensive reinforcements.
The 20-year-old, who holds both French and Ivorian nationality, is the subject of growing speculation over a move from Hamburg to Les Verts, with data from Transfermarkt rating the probability of a deal at 64%. While no agreement is in place and no contract terms have been disclosed, the suggestion of a switch back across the Rhine has intensified around the defender, whose current market value is listed at €1.80m.
Soumahoro has emerged as a left-footed centre-back of interest after a sharp rise in valuation since leaving Paris FC for Hamburg. His value climbed from €300,000 in October 2024 at Paris FC to €500,000 by December the same year, before jumping to €1.80m following his move to the German side, where he wears the number 22 shirt. Born in Paris on 4 February 2005 and standing at 1.87m, he fits the physical profile Saint-Étienne have often targeted in central defence.
There is also the possibility that his contractual situation in Hamburg could open the door to a cut-price move or even a free transfer in future, with no contract start or expiry dates listed in the available data. That uncertainty has added fuel to rumours that Saint-Étienne, currently operating in Ligue 2, might see Soumahoro as a medium-term project rather than a short-term gamble.
Having progressed through Paris Saint-Germain’s youth system before spells with Paris FC’s U17 and U19 sides and then the senior team, Soumahoro already has experience of French football structures. A move to Saint-Étienne, if it materialises, would offer the Franco-Ivorian defender a route back home and a potential platform to enhance his reputation and push towards top-flight football in the coming seasons.
