Cheikh Tidiane Sabaly is set to complete a move to Major League Soccer after travelling to Spain for a medical ahead of a three-year contract with the Vancouver Whitecaps, bringing his time at FC Metz to a close.
The Senegalese winger’s departure from the Ligue 1 side now appears certain, with the final stages of the transfer expected to be completed before the end of the week.
Sabaly, 26, has been strongly linked with a move away from Metz in recent days, and sources indicate that his switch to MLS is entering its decisive phase.
While an initial move to Germany had been anticipated, the deal has taken a different turn. Sabaly is due to undergo his medical examination in Spain on Wednesday before finalising terms with the Canadian club.
Once completed, he will sign a three-year agreement with Vancouver, ending months of uncertainty surrounding his future.
The transfer fee is expected to be in the region of €1.5m. That figure reflects Metz’s increasingly delicate position, with Sabaly’s contract due to expire next June.
The French club had previously rejected an offer of more than €2m from Middlesbrough during last summer’s transfer window, a decision that has since narrowed their negotiating leverage.
For Vancouver, the move represents a significant reinforcement as they look to strengthen their squad following disappointment in last season’s MLS play-offs, where they were eliminated by Inter Miami.
The Whitecaps are expected to benefit from Sabaly’s pace and experience, adding a proven wide player to their attacking options.
Sabaly arrives with the profile of an established international, having recently been part of Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad in Morocco. His anticipated arrival is seen as a boost for the Whitecaps as they prepare for the new campaign and seek to build on their recent progress in the league.
For Metz, the winger’s exit marks the end of a chapter and highlights the club’s challenge in managing key assets approaching the final year of their contracts.
With the deal close to completion, attention will now turn to how the Ligue 1 side reinvests the proceeds, while Vancouver prepare to officially welcome one of the most high-profile additions of their winter window.
