Jean-Pierre Tiehi: French-Ivorian forward joins FC Villefranche on free transfer from Poli Iasi

French-Ivorian centre-forward Jean-Pierre Tiehi has joined FC Villefranche on a free transfer from Romanian side ACSM Poli Iasi. The 24-year-old moves to the Ligue 3 club after a season in Romanias second tier, with the deal completed on 11 July 2026.

Tiehi, born in Paris and standing at 1.83m, adds attacking depth through the middle for Villefranche and arrives with experience across several European leagues. A right-footed striker, he has featured in France, England, Scotland, Greece and Romania during a varied early career.

He leaves Poli Iasi less than a year after joining them from US Avranches, where he had returned to French football in 2024 following spells abroad. His time in Romania included minutes in Liga 2 and the play-out phase, adding to a senior CV that already featured Ligue 2, Scotlands Championship play-offs and the French Cup.

Tiehi first moved away from France in 2018 when he left Le Havres youth ranks for Fulhams academy. He progressed through Fulhams under-18 and under-23 sides and produced a strong record in English youth competitions, scoring regularly in the Premier League 2 and U18 Premier League as well as the FA Youth Cup.

Loan spells at Rodez in France and Hamilton Academical in Scotland gave him his first sustained taste of senior football before a permanent switch to AEK Athens B in 2023. From there he returned to France with Avranches and then headed to Romania.

Tiehi, whose current market value is listed at 125,000, now begins the next phase of his career with FC Villefranche following his free transfer from ACSM Poli Iasi.