FC Porto have completed the loan signing of central midfielder Seko Fofana from Stade Rennais, adding the experienced Ivorian-French international to their squad in a deal that runs from 02/02/2026 to 30/06/2026. The move is a straight loan transfer, with Fofana joining the Liga Portugal side while remaining under contract with the French club, to which he is scheduled to return when the agreement expires.
Fofana arrives in Portugal with a current market value of €8.00m, according to the latest data, and slots into Porto’s midfield group as a right-footed central midfielder who can operate in a range of roles in the middle of the park. The 30-year-old, born in Paris and holding both Côte d’Ivoire and French nationality, leaves Rennes just over a year after joining the Ligue 1 club from Al-Nassr.
The structure of the deal means there is a clear timeline: Porto gain Fofana’s services on loan from early February until the end of June 2026, after which he is due to return to Stade Rennais at the end of the loan. That scheduled end date also raises the possibility that his longer-term future could open up quickly afterwards, depending on his situation at the French club, and could even bring the prospect of him becoming a free agent if no extension or subsequent move is agreed once existing commitments run their course.
This transfer continues a varied and international career path. Fofana progressed through the youth ranks at Paris FC and FC Lorient, moved to England with Manchester City’s U21 side, and gained senior experience on loan at Fulham and SC Bastia. A permanent move to Udinese in Serie A followed, where his market value climbed into eight figures during a consistent spell in Italy’s top flight. He later became a key figure at RC Lens in Ligue 1 before heading to Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr and then Al-Ettifaq, returning to Europe with Rennes and now switching to Porto.
Across those stops, he has featured in top divisions in France, Italy, England (at youth and loan level), Saudi Arabia and now Portugal, underlining the breadth of his experience in different leagues and styles. His value peaked significantly during his Lens years, reflecting his influence as a dynamic, box-to-box presence, and while that valuation has since settled at €8.00m, he still arrives at Porto as a high-profile and proven performer.
For Porto, the move brings in a seasoned midfielder with a strong pedigree in domestic and international competition, and for Fofana it opens another chapter abroad, this time in Liga Portugal rather than remaining in his long-familiar French environment. With the loan period clearly defined, his performances over these months in Portugal are likely to be crucial in shaping his next contract situation and determining whether his future lies back in Ligue 1, in Liga Portugal, or potentially on the market once the current agreements conclude.
