Malick Mbaye has completed a permanent move from FC Metz to Belgian side Zulte Waregem in a deal worth €200k, signing a contract that runs from 2026-02-02 to 2030-06-30. The Senegalese right winger leaves France with an official market valuation of €400k and becomes the latest Génération Foot graduate to continue his European career outside Ligue 1.
The transfer brings an end to Mbaye’s spell at Metz, where he progressed from the B team into the first-team squad before experiencing senior football in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 structures, including a loan stint. Having returned from a loan at Amiens SC and been re-registered with Metz’s first team, the 21-year-old has now opted for a fresh challenge in Belgium with Zulte Waregem, who compete in the Jupiler Pro League.
Born in Mbour and standing at 1.73m, Mbaye developed through the renowned Génération Foot system in Senegal, moving from Génération Foot U17 to AS Académie Génération Foot before joining Metz’s reserve side in early 2023. His performances for Metz B quickly lifted his valuation from €150k in mid-2023 to €400k by October that year, and it peaked at €500k later in 2023 while he was breaking into the first team.
A loan move to Amiens SC in early 2025 gave him further senior exposure in French football before he went back to Metz that summer. By June 2025 his market value was again assessed at €500k, underlining his potential, although it settled at €400k by the end of that year. Throughout this period, he was consistently listed as an attacking right winger, predominantly right-footed, and used in advanced roles across the frontline.
Zulte Waregem’s acquisition of Mbaye adds another Senegalese talent to the Belgian league and continues the established pathway linking Génération Foot prospects to European clubs. For the player, the move means a confirmed step into regular football abroad, with the possibility of testing himself week in, week out in the Jupiler Pro League rather than remaining within the French system.
The transfer also closes a chapter of steady progression within Metz’s structure, from reserves to first team and out on loan, and formally shifts Mbaye’s career base from France to Belgium. With several years ahead on his new contract and a fee that reflects both his current value and room for growth, the winger now has a stable platform to develop his reputation in European football and potentially attract wider attention if he delivers on the promise that has tracked him since his early days in Mbour and at Génération Foot.
