Rumor: Sporting KC Linked to $20 Million Attacker Gboho

On the eve of the FIFA World Cup starting, Sporting Kansas City were in the news. Yesterday, The Athletic’s Tom Bogert and Paul Tenorio reported that, “Sporting KC [are] pushing to sign FC Toulouse winger Yann Gboho.”

His current team has his valuation at a staggering $20 million. That doesn’t mean Sporting KC made an offer of that dollar figure, but the duo reported SKC “would face stiff competition for his signature with European clubs if they could strike a deal.”

Bogert did make sure to throw some water on this specific rumor, saying, “nothing advanced yet at all.” But he went on to say Gboho is “one of several DP (Designated Player) targets for SKC.”

Let’s take this in chunks.

Who is Yann Gboho

Gboho is a 25-year-old who can play both wing spots as well as at attacking midfielder. He is listed as primarily having lined up at left wing according to Transfermarkt. He’s right footed, so that would mean he’d be inverting towards the goal if KC acquired him and used him in the same way.

Yann is a dual national of France and the Ivory Coast. He represented France at various youth levels but did not get called into the Ivory Coast squad for the World Cup. He only recently switched to the Ivory Coast in March though, so that likely impacted his ability to make that team. Looking at his form, he’s surely a future international for Cote d’Ivoire.

In all competitions in 2025-26, he has earned 10 goals and three assists. It’s his most prolific season yet after five goals and four assists last year was his previous high.

Before coming to Toulouse via a €2.5 million transfer fee in 2023-24, he played for Cercle Brugge in Belgium. He had a previous stint in France at Stade Rennais, which is the youth system he came up in. He also spent a year on loan at Vitesse in the Netherlands.

Gboho has noteworthy family in world football. He is cousins with Désiré Doué of PSG and Guéla Doué of Strasbourg, who are both at the World Cup. Désiré with France and Guéla with the Ivory Coast.

Is this a Change in Plans for Sporting KC?

When Sporting KC’s new President of Soccer Operations and General Manager, David Lee, joined the team, he was clear he favored the two DP, four U-22 player model. That gives clubs an extra $2 million in General Allocation Money (GAM) in return for only having two DPs (or less).

The team already has two DPs in striker Dejan Joveljic and midfielder Manu Garcia. Either, one of them has to depart, or KC could be switching to the 3/3 model which would allow three DPs. Peter Mallouk, SKC’s new majority owner, did call July 16th, “a new beginning.”

David Lee Looking to Add Four to Seven Players to Sporting KC

Lee was rumored to be making four to seven new signings, but the magnitude of this rumor is far beyond most expectations. The previous club record for a transfer fee was a rumored $9.5 million fee for Alan Pulido ahead of the 2020 MLS season (though maybe that fee was as low as $8 million).

No other fee even comes close, with Dejan Joveljic’s $4m fee likely being the second most spent on a single player.

If the transfer fee was $20 million, that would be one of the highest fees in MLS history!

Mallouk has also said, “This is the first window [David Lee] has with all he needs.” Before going on to add, “The bar is being re-set. And hopes should be too!”

That’s quite a reset. Whether the Gboho move goes through or not, the fact that the team is targeting multiple DPs is a sure sign of renewed ambition.

How Would He Fit with Sporting KC?

Sporting Kansas City have plenty of money when it comes to their budget. They can add Gboho without moving a player, but he would take up one of their precious international roster spots. That said, when you spend that kind of money, it’s often for a foreign player.

On the pitch, Sporting KC have recently settled into a 4-4-2, but it’s unclear if that’s coach Rapha Wicky’s preference or simply him trying to get the most out of the guys he has. If Gboho were to drop into that formation he’d likely be a wide midfielder, pushing Calvin Harris to the bench. It’s also possible he could play next to or underneath Dejan Joveljic.

The team could also switch to another formation with all the moves they are likely to make over the World Cup break and the talent they will hopefully add. Regardless, you’d expect a player like Yann to start with Capita Capemba and the team would suddenly have a glut of attacking talent.

Gboho Highlights

Watching through some highlights (which of course leave out most of the flaws), there is a lot to like. He’s tricky, often looking to take on players one versus one, or even one versus two. He’s explosive in his movements and looks to be loaded with pace.

While Transfermarkt lists him as right footed and as a left winger, he doesn’t exclusive play there or use that foot, though that’s where he’s popping up most often. He showed an ability to score and pass quite nicely with his left foot as well, despite favoring his right.

In general, the highlights remind me a lot of Capita, but he’s doing it in a much harder league than the Angolan was in Poland. Ligue 1 is a top league in the world.

The KC Soccer Journal will bring you more on this and any other rumors that pop-up for Sporting KC.