Dabila: Royal Excel Mouscron sign Ivorian and Lille centre-back

Belgian First Division A side Royal Excel Mouscron have announced the signing of Kouadio-Yves Dabila on a season-long loan from Ligue 1 club Lille.

The 23-year-old defender is no stranger to the Belgian top-flight, having featured for Cercle Brugge in the 2019-20 campaign on loan. 

The Ivorian made 21 league appearances and scored one goal to help Paul Clement’s men finish the season in 14th spot on the table.

Royal Excel Mouscron finished 10th in the league last season and have recruited the defender in their quest to compete for the league title in the 2020-21 season.

The young centre-back will link up with Cameroon trio Fabrice Olinga, Jean Onana and Serge Tabekou as well as Nigeria’s Cedric Omoigui, the Democratic Republic of the Congo forward Beni Badibanga and Senegal’s El Hadji Gueye.

Dabila started his career with Cisse Institut FC academy before joining Monaco youth setup in 2014 and his convincing showings saw him promoted to the senior side.

The defender featured in 59 league games for Monaco B after signing his first professional contract with the club.

The centre-back made his professional debut for the Monegasques in 2017 in a Coupe de France semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain. 

Dabila, however, struggled to play consistently with the Stade Louis II outfit and failed to make a single Ligue 1 appearance for the side during his stay.

In his quest to enjoy more game time, the defender joined rivals Lille and has played 24 times in the French top-flight for the club so far.

Dabila has featured for the Ivory Coast U23 side and will hope to continue impressing at club level to boost his chances of playing for the senior team.