Mustafa Mohamed banished to Nantes reserves amid contract stand-off and pay dispute

Mustafa Mohamed has been ordered to train with Nantes’ reserve team until the end of the transfer window after going absent from pre-season, the French club’s head coach Michel Der Zakarian has confirmed.

The Egypt striker, who has one year left on his contract, has returned to the club but will not rejoin the first team as tensions grow over his future and unpaid wages.

Coach: ‘We can’t rely on a player who turns up late’

Mohamed, 26, came back to Nantes this week after failing to attend the club’s pre-season conditioning programme, which began on 24 June – around a month ago.

He featured only in individual training sessions and was left out of the squad that drew 1-1 in a friendly against third-tier La Roche-sur-Yon.

Speaking after that match, Der Zakarian told reporters: “Mustafa Mohamed will continue his rehabilitation programme with the reserve team until the end of the transfer window.

“We cannot rely on a player who arrives after three or four weeks from the start of the preparation period for the new season.”

The decision effectively sidelines one of Nantes’ most experienced forwards at a time when the club is rebuilding following relegation from Ligue 1.

Daily letters and withheld salary

French sports daily L’Equipe has reported that Nantes believe Mohamed may have had what it described as a “hidden defence” for his absence, but that the club is determined not to allow him to leave for free.

According to the newspaper, Nantes have not set a minimum asking price for the player and have yet to receive any formal offers for his transfer.

L’Equipe said Waldemar Kita, the club’s president, had initially been a strong supporter of Mohamed’s profile as a centre-forward. However, the relationship has deteriorated, with the club initiating what were described as preliminary sanctions.

Those measures include sending Mohamed a daily letter notifying him that he will not be paid his salary for the period in which he was absent.

The report added: “In the event that Mustafa Mohamed returns he will play with the reserve team, and there is no intention within the club to back down from the current position.”

Nantes adamant over transfer stance

Nantes, who signed Mohamed from Galatasaray for €6.5m, are understood to be keen to protect their investment.

The striker’s contract runs until the summer of 2027, leaving three years on his deal, and the club is adamant that he will not be released without adequate compensation.

Earlier this week, Der Zakarian underlined the club’s frustration when he was asked about the forward ahead of a friendly against Lorient.

“We do not know where Mustafa Mohamed is,” the coach said at his pre-match press conference. “We call him and sometimes he does not answer.”

Relegation backdrop and player record

Nantes were relegated to Ligue 2 at the end of last season after finishing second from bottom in Ligue 1, increasing financial and sporting pressure on the club.

Mohamed has been a regular contributor since arriving in France three years ago. He has made 136 appearances in all competitions for Nantes, scoring 29 goals.

Despite that record, his immediate future now appears to lie away from the first team, with the club signalling that he will remain with the reserves unless a transfer materialises before the window closes.

Nantes’ draw against La Roche-sur-Yon, in which Ignatius Ganago scored in the 85th minute, underlined the scale of the rebuild facing Der Zakarian as he prepares for life in the second tier – and he is planning, at least for now, without Mustafa Mohamed in his plans.