Nathanaël Mbuku, the 23-year-old former France U21 international, is reportedly nearing a return to French football. He is set to join Ligue 2 club Montpellier HSC on a season-long loan from German side FC Augsburg. According to L`Équipe, the agreement contains an option for Montpellier to purchase the player permanently for €1.8 million.
A product of the Reims academy, Mbuku spent the previous 2024-25 campaign on loan at Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb. During his time there, he featured in 20 matches across all competitions, netting two goals, and also made two appearances in the UEFA Champions League. FC Augsburg exercised a buy-back clause in his contract earlier this summer before this move.
Since changing his international allegiance in autumn 2024, Mbuku has earned five caps for DR Congo, scoring twice. He is anticipated to bolster the attacking options for Zoumana Camara`s Montpellier squad as they seek immediate promotion back to Ligue 1 after their recent relegation.
This upcoming season will mark Mbuku`s first experience in Ligue 2. He previously played in the French top flight (Ligue 1) for Reims, where he made 77 appearances between 2019 and 2022.
