Wrexham's Ambitious Defensive Reinforcements: Kabore and Ekomie

Wrexham are closing in on a double defensive swoop that underlines just how far the club’s ambitions now stretch.

Issa Kabore is set to join permanently from Manchester City, while left-back Jacques Ekomie is poised to arrive from Angers, as Phil Parkinson reshapes his back line for another crack at the Championship.

Kabore swaps loan life for permanent home

For Kabore, this is more than another move. It’s an escape from the loan carousel and a chance to finally put down roots.

The Burkina Faso international, 25, lit up Wrexham’s right flank last season, making 32 appearances in all competitions and driving the side forward from wing-back. His eight Championship assists were more than any other Wrexham player, a remarkable return for a defender and a key part of the Red Dragons’ attacking edge.

He announced himself in style. On debut at Carrow Road, Kabore delivered two assists in a breathless 3-2 win over Norwich City, immediately setting the tone for his spell in north Wales.

He quickly became a mainstay under Parkinson before a hamstring injury on international duty in November halted his momentum. The setback kept him out for a chunk of the campaign, but he returned on the biggest stage, featuring for Burkina Faso at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and then slotting back into Wrexham’s side for the run-in.

Now, after seven separate loan spells away from Manchester City, Kabore is finally on the brink of a permanent exit from the Etihad Stadium. The deal is worth up to £4.75m, with City inserting a 20% sell-on clause and retaining matching rights, a clear sign they still rate the 55-cap international.

Kabore joined City from Mechelen in 2020 and was immediately loaned back to the Belgian club. Stints at Troyes, Marseille, Luton Town, Benfica and Werder Bremen followed before he landed at Wrexham on transfer deadline day last September.

Despite never making a senior appearance for City, he leaves with his stock rising – and with Wrexham ready to make him a cornerstone of their project.

Ekomie to strengthen the left flank

On the opposite side, Wrexham are moving for Jacques Ekomie, a left-back entering the final year of his contract at Angers.

The Gabon international has drawn interest from West Ham United and Hamburg, but Wrexham have pushed hard to bring him to the Racecourse Ground as they look to deepen their options on the left.

That area has been a problem. Liberato Cacace arrived from Empoli in the summer of 2025 with high hopes, only for injuries to repeatedly derail his progress in north Wales. Parkinson has had to juggle and improvise; Ekomie’s arrival would give him a more stable solution.

If both deals are completed as expected, Ekomie and Kabore will join a busy summer intake that already includes full-back Danny Imray, goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and midfielder Ben Whiteman.

It is a clear pattern: Wrexham are not just chasing names, they are building a spine and doubling up in key positions.

Kabore, who operated as a rampaging wing-back last season, now looks set to become a permanent fixture in that plan. Ekomie, if he adapts quickly, could balance the other flank.

For a club that once relied on short-term fixes, this feels different. This feels like a squad being built to stay in the Championship – and then ask what comes next.