Swansea City sign Malick Yalcouyé on loan
Swansea City is delighted to confirm the signing of Malick Yalcouyé on loan for the 2025-26 season, subject to international clearance and visa approval.
The 19-year-old midfielder joins the Swans from Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion and will wear the number eight shirt in SA1.
The Mali-born Ivory Coast age-grade international will further strengthen head coach Alan Sheehan’s options in the middle of the park, and is renowned for his high-energy style of play, ability to break up opposition attacks and distribute the ball effectively.
Having first emerged at the academy of Center de Formation Etoiles De Sahel Abobo, Yalcouyé went on to join Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas and was just 17 when first featuring for them in the CAF Champions League.
His showings soon attracted the interest of clubs in Europe, and he followed a well-trodden path of players heading to Sweden from Mimosas when he signed for IFK Goteborg in January 2024.
His meteoric rise continued when, after just 14 appearances for the Allsvenskan club, he joined Brighton in a £6million move on a five-year deal during the summer 2024 transfer window.
Yalcouyé spent last season on loan in Austria with Sturm Graz, starring in their Champions League campaign, and Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler has spoken during the summer of how impressed he had been with the tenacious midfielder’s development.
Head coach Alan Sheehan, said: “We are very excited to bring Malick to Swansea City.
“During our conversations it was clear he is a young player with a relentless energy and appetite for the game, which has been underlined by his rapid rise over the last few years.
“We will look to get him integrated into the squad as quickly as we can and we are excited by the attributes he will add to the group.”
Director of football Richard Montague, added: “We are very pleased to have added Malick to Alan’s squad, and we are confident he will add different attributes to our midfield with his tenacity, energy and ability to read the game.
“He has made a considerable impression in a short period of time at his previous clubs, including in his appearances in the Champions League last season, and we look forward to seeing the impact he can make in the Championship.
“We are grateful to Brighton for their support and the positive manner in which this process has been conducted, and that they have viewed Swansea City as the right place for Malick to perform at Championship level given the competition for his signature.”
Adam Worth, Swansea City’s global head of analytics and recruitment, said: “We are delighted to sign another long-term target and welcome Malick Yalcouyé to Swansea City.
“We have tracked and scouted Malick throughout his time on loan with Sturm Graz last year, and we have been keeping an extremely close eye on his progress.
“Malick offers us a remarkable work-rate and energy, he has a bright future ahead of him and it’s exciting that Swansea City will now be part of his career journey."