Valour FC Signs Congolese International Arnold Bouka Moutou

Valour FC has added a player of significant pedigree to its roster for the 2020 Canadian Premier League season.

The Winnipeg-based side has come to terms with Arnold Bouka Moutou, a 31-year-old Congolese left full-back who has appeared for his country 21 times. Bouka Moutou last played for Ligue 1 side Dijon, for whom he made 24 appearances but ultimately found himself surplus to requirements in the 2019 season.

Bouka Moutou is expected to help lead a Valour FC defensive line that leaked a league high 52 goals in 28 games last season, though much of the club’s defensive roster has since been replaced.

With 42 appearances in Ligue 1 under his belt (and 70 in Ligue 2), Bouka Moutou brings plenty of high level experience to a locker room which found itself lacking such capable veterans last season. The 31-year-old defender has plied his trade against plenty of top level talents, including the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Kylian Mbappe, and Lucas Moura.

We’re delighted to have him. I don’t think any CPL teams have signed a player from the top four leagues yet. A player of his experience and age now has a chance to show himself on a different continent.

Rob Gale

The big caveat with Moutou’s signing is that the 31-year-old veteran hasn’t spent much action on the field in the last 18 months, having last played in the final stages of the 2018-2019 season.

The player now arrives to the Canadian Premier League after what Rob Gale described as a contract dispute in France.

When the signing was first rumoured, question arose regarding how much of Rob Gale’s 2020 season cap was being spent securing a player from Ligue 1. To that end, Gale has told fans that the club’s latest signing arrives on a very reasonable salary:

He’s actually coming in at right around the average wage of the league, which is unbelievable and a testament to him and his desire to play here. That’s the point for him – he’s been successful and played at the highest level and now he has the ability to choose football projects that he believes in.

Rob Gale

Gale said that Bouka Moutou had an offer to say in France, but liked the idea of showcasing himself in a young North American league still establishing itself.

The Winnipeg-based Canadian Premier League side has now signed 12 players for the upcoming season, with Gale relying heavily on international talent for his backline: the club has also brought in Panamanian defender Amir Soto and Haitian international Andrew Jean-Baptiste, while re-signing young defenders Yohan Le Bourhis and Raphael Garcia.

Valour FC did not disclose the financial compensation for Bouka Moutou, nor his contract length.

Source: Valour FC