Saliou Thioune leaves ML Vitebsk to become free agent after Belarus spell

Italian-Senegalese forward Saliou Thioune has left Belarusian side ML Vitebsk and is now a free agent after his contract ended on 6 July 2026, completing a free transfer away from the Vysheyshaya Liga club.

The 22-year-old centre-forward, who stands at 1.79m and plays predominantly with his right foot, departs Vitebsk with a current market value of 175,000. His latest valuation was recorded while on the books of Naftan Novopolotsk, reflecting his status as an emerging attacking option in Belarus.

Thiounes exit comes shortly after he returned to Vitebsk at the end of a loan spell with league rivals Naftan. The loan began on 1 April 2026 and concluded on 30 June 2026, after which he briefly rejoined Vitebsk before moving on as a free agent days later.

Vitebsk had originally signed Thioune from Maltese club Hamrun Spartans on 30 January 2026 in a standard transfer, continuing a career that has already taken him across several European countries at a young age. Before his stint in Malta, he played in Switzerland for FC Paradiso and Yverdon Sport, having earlier developed in Italy with Cittadellas youth and Primavera teams.

Thiounes market value has risen steadily during his senior career, climbing from 50,000 at Yverdon Sport to 100,000 with Paradiso and then reaching 200,000 while at Hamrun Spartans, before settling at 175,000 during his time in Belarus.

Now unattached and listed without a club, Thioune leaves Vitebsk after a brief but active period of moves and loans across Malta, Switzerland and Belarus.