Barnsley sign Ivory Coast striker Ben Hamed Toure from FC Annecy

Barnsley have completed the signing of Ivory Coast centre-forward Ben Hamed Toure from French club FC Annecy, with the 23-year-old joining the League One side on a contract until 30 June 2029.

Toure’s move was completed on 30 August, taking him from Ligue 2 to England’s third tier. He becomes a Barnsley player after spending the opening weeks of the 2026-27 campaign at Annecy, where he did not make a league appearance before switching clubs.

Born in Lopou, Ivory Coast, Toure stands 1.85m tall and favours his right foot. He has operated as a central striker during his career and arrives at Oakwell after a spell in French football that began with Annecy in September 2025.

The forward joined Annecy as a free agent after leaving AC Ajaccio the previous month. Before that, he had spent the 2023-24 season with Ajaccio, having moved up from the club’s reserve side. His early senior career began with Ivorian club LYS Sassandra, from whom he joined AC Ajaccio B in January 2022.

Toure’s arrival gives Barnsley another centre-forward option as the club continues its League One campaign. His previous experience includes time in Ligue 2, although he had not appeared in Annecy’s first four possible league games of the season before completing his move to England.

The transfer also marks Toure’s latest step after moving between clubs in France and Ivory Coast since 2022. He joined Annecy without a transfer fee last year following his departure from Ajaccio, then made the move to Barnsley less than 12 months later.

Barnsley are Toure’s third senior club in France and his first in England. His contract with the South Yorkshire club runs for almost three years, keeping him at Barnsley through the end of June 2029.

Toure has now officially switched from FC Annecy to Barnsley and will continue his career in League One.