Championship Clubs Fighting for Manchester City Defender

Championship Clubs Fighting for Manchester City Defender

With just days left of the transfer window, both Ipswich Town and Leicester City are battling to sign Manchester City full-back Issa Kaboré, according to Football League World.

The Burkinabé defender, who has 49 caps for his country, joined City in 2020 but has yet to make a senior appearance. Instead, he has spent time out on loan at KV Mechelen, Troyes, Marseille, Luton Town, Benfica, and most recently Werder Bremen.

City are open to selling the 24-year-old this summer, though a loan remains possible. Both Ipswich and Leicester have emerged as frontrunners, with Bundesliga side Hamburg and newly promoted Paris FC in Ligue 1 also monitoring the situation.

Kaboré has featured in top leagues across Europe, including the Premier League with Luton two seasons ago, where he made 24 appearances. Despite Pep Guardiola praising him as 'training really good' last year, he has struggled to break through at the Etihad, where Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes currently provide the right-sided options.

🚨 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧: Leicester, Ipswich, Hamburg and Paris FC are all showing late-window interest in Manchester City defender Issa Kabore. ✍🏿

City prefer to sell but are open to a loan. 🗣️

📰 via @JacobsBen pic.twitter.com/AGH3ZE2Rpt

— City HQ (@City_HQs) August 27, 2025

Promotion Rivals Looking for a Boost

Both Ipswich and Leicester are expected to push for an immediate return to the Premier League after their recent relegation. However, their early season form has been far from convincing.

Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich have collected just two points from their first three matches, while Leicester have scraped through two narrow wins and also crashed out of the EFL Cup. Reinforcements are seen as essential, and Kaboré’s arrival would add both quality and Prem experience at the Championship level.

The Foxes have been quieter in terms of transfers this summer, with Asmir Begović their only senior addition. They also lost Kasey McAteer to Ipswich in a £12 million deal, while key figures such as Conor Coady, Wilfred Ndidi, Mads Hermansen and James Justin have all departed.

Ipswich, meanwhile, have been more active with seven arrivals, including David Button, Ashley Young and Chuba Akpom. Kaboré would provide much-needed depth as they aim to strengthen their defence and kick-start their promotion bid.

⚡️Glimpses of my £4.0 million Defender- Issa Kabore pic.twitter.com/JOdod92nij

— ALLABOUTFPL (@allaboutfpl) July 24, 2023

What Next for Kaboré?

Whether City allow a permanent transfer or another loan spell, a move to the Championship would give Kaboré the chance to play regular football and prove himself in England once again.

His international pedigree, highlighted by being named Best Young Player at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, underlines the quality Ipswich and Leicester are fighting to secure.

With the window closing in a matter of days, his future looks set to be decided quickly.