Mamadou Thierno Barry: Senegal defender joins Al-Shabab on loan from Union SG

Senegalese centre-back Mamadou Thierno Barry has joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab on loan from Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise.

The move was completed on 1 August 2026, with the 21-year-old’s loan scheduled to run until 30 June 2027. Barry is due to return to Union Saint-Gilloise at the end of the agreement.

Barry arrives in Saudi Arabia after 18 months with Union SG, who signed him from Troms IL in January 2025 for €2.55m. He made the move to the Belgian club after beginning his senior career in Norway, having joined Troms from Senegalese side Academy Mawade Wade in March 2024 for €85,000.

The 1.95m defender is right-footed and plays primarily in central defence. His arrival adds a young Senegalese option to Al-Shabab’s squad as the club begins the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League campaign.

Barry was part of the Union Saint-Gilloise squad that won the Belgian Cup in 2026, giving him a domestic honour before his move to Al-Shabab. The trophy was his first listed achievement at senior club level.

His transfer takes him from Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League to the Saudi Pro League, marking the first international change of league since his move from Troms to Union SG. The switch also gives him a new club environment less than two years after leaving his first recorded senior side.

Barry’s market value is listed at €1.2m, while his highest recorded value was €1.8m. Those figures provide context for a player whose career has included three clubs since his move into senior football, but the latest transfer is structured as a loan rather than a permanent departure from Union SG.

The Senegal defender’s contract arrangements at Al-Shabab cover the 2026-27 season, with his return to Union Saint-Gilloise set for the end of the loan on 30 June 2027.