Matteo Ahlinvi: Benin-France midfielder leaves Arsenal Tula and becomes free agent after Russian spell

Matteo Ahlinvi has left Arsenal Tula and is now officially without a club after his contract with the Russian side ended, confirming the Benin-France midfielders status as a free agent on 2026-07-05. The central midfielders move came with no transfer fee, and he enters the market carrying a listed value of 250k.

The 27-year-old departs Arsenal Tula following a stint in Russias 1.Division, with his registration now held by Without Club, the administrative designation for unattached players. With no league affiliation currently attached to his name and his last deal at club level concluded on 2026-07-05, Ahlinvi is free to negotiate with interested sides in any country.

Ahlinvis exit from Arsenal Tula continues a career defined by moves abroad. Before arriving in Russia from Vasteras SK in Sweden in a standard transfer on 2025-01-31, he had already built experience in multiple European leagues. He moved to Sweden from Serbian side FK Cukaricki on 2024-02-01, having previously joined Cukaricki from French outfit Dijon FCO on 2023-07-27.

Prior to his time in Serbia and Sweden, Ahlinvis career was rooted in France. The left-footed central midfielder progressed through EA Guingamps youth ranks, stepping up from Guingamps U19s to the B team in 2017 before switching to Nimes Olympique B in 2019. He was promoted to the Nimes first team on 2020-07-01 and later moved to Dijon FCO in a domestic transfer on 2021-07-01, giving him a solid grounding in French professional football.

Market value data illustrates the arc of his career. Ahlinvis valuation climbed rapidly during his Nimes days, rising from 200,000 euros to 1 million euros in 2021. Subsequent spells at Dijon, Cukaricki, Vasteras SK and Arsenal Tula coincided with a gradual decline, with his value noted at 800,000 and then 600,000 euros at Dijon, 350,000 euros at Cukaricki and Vasteras, and finally 250,000 euros at Arsenal Tula as of the most recent assessment in 2026.

Born in Arcachon and holding both Benin and France nationality, Ahlinvi brings a profile influenced by two football cultures. Standing 1.83m tall and operating primarily as a central midfielder, he is noted in the data as a left-footed player capable of occupying the heart of midfield rather than wider or more advanced roles. No recent match statistics or detailed performance data are provided for his final season in Russia, but his presence at Arsenal Tula coincided with their participation in the 1.Division.

With his last contract closed and no new deal yet recorded, Ahlinvis immediate future lies outside any domestic league structure. His status as a free agent, combined with a 250k market valuation and experience in France, Serbia, Sweden and Russia, leaves him well placed for another move abroad. The next agreement he signs will determine whether he re-establishes himself in a major European competition or pursues a different path entirely, a decision that will be pivotal for the next phase of his professional career.