Nathanaël Mbuku, a 23-year-old former France U21 international, is expected to make a return to French football. Reports indicate he has agreed to a season-long loan move to Montpellier HSC, who play in Ligue 2, from his current club, Bundesliga side FC Augsburg. According to L’Équipe, the deal includes a clause allowing Montpellier to buy the player permanently for a fee of €1.8 million.
The forward, who developed in the Reims academy, spent the 2024-25 season on loan with Dinamo Zagreb, the Croatian champions. During this spell, he featured in 20 matches across various competitions, scoring two goals. His time at Dinamo included two appearances in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers before Augsburg chose to activate a buy-back clause in his contract earlier this summer.
Mbuku recently switched his international allegiance to DR Congo in autumn 2024 and has since earned five caps, scoring twice. He is anticipated to bolster the attacking options available to Zoumana Camara`s Montpellier squad as they aim for an immediate promotion back to Ligue 1 following their recent relegation.
This upcoming campaign will be Mbuku`s first experience in France`s second division. He previously played in Ligue 1 for Reims, making 77 appearances in the top flight between 2019 and 2022.
