Sporting Braga has just completed a major transfer by selling Simon Banza, former RC Lens striker, to Al-Jazira for the sum of €10 million. The 29-year-old Franco-Congolese center-forward is thus leaving Portugal after a successful loan to Trabzonspor last season to join the UAE league, where he signed a three-year contract.
Simon Banza had attracted interest from several European clubs during the transfer window, including Oviedo, Werder Bremen, Getafe, as well as his former club RC Lens. However, it was ultimately Al-Jazira’s management, a club owned by Sheikh Mansour who also owns Manchester City, that convinced Braga with an offer of €10 million, the highest expenditure of the club this summer market.
The player, who had already shined in Ligue 1 wearing Lens colors, now finds himself in an environment where he can play alongside several former Ligue 1 players such as Karim Rekik and Nabil Fekir, as well as Mohamed Elneny, a former Arsenal player. This new chapter in the Gulf promises Banza an attractive sporting and financial challenge in a league undergoing strong development.
Simon Banza, standing 1.89 m tall and left-footed, was recognized in the Primeira Liga for his performances before his departure and remains an experienced striker capable of providing a major offensive presence. This transfer marks the end of a European chapter for the former Lens player, who now embarks on a new adventure in the Middle East while leaving the door slightly open for a possible return to Ligue 1 according to rumors.