Ismaël Gharbi eyes career revival after promising Leganés start

Ismaël Gharbi has made a promising start to his loan spell at Leganés as the Tunisia international looks to revive a career that has stalled since leaving Paris Saint-Germain.

The 22-year-old winger joined the Spanish second-tier club on loan from Braga with the immediate objective of playing regularly and rebuilding his confidence.

Gharbi has already featured in two official matches for Leganés, against Girona FC and Real Oviedo. He made a decisive contribution in the latter, scoring the winning goal in a 1-0 victory on the second matchday.

The goal offers an early boost for the young winger and provides evidence of the confidence his new club has placed in him.

Gharbi’s career has not followed the trajectory expected when he emerged from the PSG academy.

The French-born player was regarded as a promising talent during his development in Paris, but opportunities to establish himself at senior level have proved difficult to find.

In 2023, he moved to Switzerland on loan to StadeLO before joining Braga on a free transfer in 2024.

The move to Portugal was expected to provide Gharbi with the platform to develop further, but his progress was interrupted by another loan spell, this time at Augsburg.

His first season had produced encouraging numbers, with four goals and six assists in 38 appearances. However, his time in Germany was far less productive.

Gharbi made only seven appearances for Augsburg, and the German club ultimately decided not to exercise the option to make his move permanent.

The switch to Leganés now gives the Tunisian another opportunity to rebuild his career.

Although the Spanish second division may represent a less prominent stage than some of the leagues in which Gharbi has previously played, it could provide the regular football he needs to regain momentum.

Leganés are capable of competing for promotion and returning to La Liga, giving Gharbi the opportunity to contribute to a team with ambitions of moving back into Spain’s top flight.

The winger’s international career has also continued to develop. He has earned 20 caps for Tunisia and scored twice for the national side.

Gharbi also has a connection with Spain that could help him settle into his new surroundings.

Born in France to a Tunisian father and a Spanish mother, he spent part of his international youth career representing Spain, playing for the Roja at Under-18 and Under-19 level.

He changed his sporting nationality from Spain to Tunisia in 2025 in accordance with FIFA regulations.

His familiarity with the Spanish language should also make the transition to life at Leganés easier.

Unlike his previous experience in Germany with Augsburg, communication and integration are not expected to present the same challenge in Spain.

Gharbi therefore arrives at Leganés with several factors working in his favour: youth, ability, familiarity with the language and an early goal to strengthen his confidence.

The challenge now is to turn that promising beginning into a consistent run of performances and regular playing time.

If he can establish himself at Leganés, the loan could provide the platform needed to relaunch his career and eventually attract interest from a leading club in one of Europe’s major leagues.