Antwerp has a core with plenty of experienced players with no resale value. However, there are also some gems in this core, which Marc Overmars could possibly resell. One of them was snatched from the nose and beard of OGC Nice.
Antwerp snatched Mahamadou Doumbia from JMG Bamako (Senegal) in the summer of 2023. This academy has a partnership with FC Nordsjaelland, where he played for a year on loan. However, Antwerp managed to get him back for a pittance.
Antwerp beat Nice
Doumbia initially played with Antwerp’s youth side, but last season he quickly got the opportunity to play under Mark van Bommel. He left a good impression. Under the leadership of Jonas De Roeck, he has made further progress.
Doumbia was a starter at Great Old, but then retired due to injury. Via DAZN he spoke about his transfer to Antwerp. So far, it has been a successful marriage.
A transfer in 2025?
“Antwerp was the best choice for me, although I could have gone to OGC Nice. At first, I had a little difficulty adapting because I didn’t speak English. But Antwerp supported me well and gave me a lot of confidence. I am very happy at Antwerp,” said the midfielder.
Antwerp also have to sell players in 2025. Doumbia is one of the players Overmars will eventually have to monetize. Maybe this will happen already in the summer of 2025. That remains to be seen. Doumbia is still under contract until mid-2027, so now might be the time to cash in a big fee. His market value is 5 million euros, according to Transfermarkt.
