Christ-Owen Kouassi: Ivorian-French right-back joins Grenoble from Lecce on loan

Ivorian-French right-back Christ-Owen Kouassi has joined Grenoble from Italian club Lecce on loan, completing a move that takes him from Serie A to France’s Ligue 2. The 23-year-old defender switches clubs on 1 September 2026, with the loan scheduled to run until 30 June 2027.

Kouassi arrives at Grenoble after spending the opening weeks of the 2026-27 campaign with Lecce. He was named in the squad for two Serie A matches and one Italian Cup fixture but did not make an appearance before moving to France.

The transfer marks a return to French football for Kouassi, who previously played for Stade Lavallois. Lecce signed him from Stade Lavallois on 1 July 2025 in a €1m deal, before he returned to the French club on loan in February 2026. That temporary spell ended on 30 June, when he went back to Lecce.

Kouassi began his senior career with Stade Laval B after progressing from the club’s under-19 side. He joined the Stade Laval academy from Fontenay in 2020 and moved into the reserve set-up the following year. His path through the French club structure preceded his move to the professional side of Stade Lavallois in July 2024.

Born in Paris on 15 April 2003, Kouassi holds Ivorian and French nationality. He plays primarily at right-back, is right-footed and stands 1.87m tall. Grenoble have registered him as a member of their squad for the Ligue 2 season, where he will wear number 21.

The move gives Kouassi a fresh opportunity for regular involvement after his return to Lecce produced no playing minutes at the start of the new season. Grenoble will retain him for the duration of the loan, before he is due to return to Lecce at the end of June 2027.

Kouassi’s transfer to Grenoble is a completed loan move from Lecce, effective from 1 September 2026.