- Last year Aston Villa agreed a deal to sign ASEC Mimosas youngster Ibrahim Dosso
- The striker will sign officially on January 1st 2027 when he turns 18
- Dosso will continue at Mimosas until then
Among Aston Villa’s intense youth recruitment, there is a forgotten name currently at ASEC Mimosas. Ibrahim Dosso, who is one of the brightest young talents in West Africa, agreed a deal last year to join the Villans when he turns 18.
With the move first revealed by Jacob Tanswell at The Athletic in October last year, Dosso’s name will have slipped the minds of Villa supporters, as the deal will not go through until 2027.
Due to FIFA transfer regulations regarding the signing of players of youth players abroad, the Ivorian will officially move to Villa Park and sign a professional contract when he turns 18 on January 1st, 2027. Until his 18th birthday, the forward will remain with ASEC to continue his senior development.
ASEC Mimosas pipeline
The deal highlights the growing, highly productive relationship between Villa and Mimosas, the most successful club in the Ivory Coast. ASEC produces excellent prospects who are technically sound and physically strong, prompting Villa to secure their brightest talents.
This is not the first time Villa have successfully raided their academy. Last summer, the Midlands club signed 18-year-old midfielder Mohamed Koné through the exact same channel. Koné’s rapid integration and immediate impression on the coaching staff at Bodymoor Heath gave Villa officials the confidence to execute the long-term plan for Dosso.
Though still only a teenager, Dosso is highly regarded within Ivorian football circles. He has already broken into ASEC’s senior squad, making several competitive first-team appearances last season.
Furthermore, Dosso has already spent time training at Bodymoor Heath, as part of the partnership between the two clubs, where ASEC’s youth team visited England to play friendlies against Villa’s academy and other English clubs.
ReadAstonVilla verdict
This deal represents the wider V Sports blueprint. Alongside formal partnerships with clubs like Columbus Crew, Vissel Kobe, Real Union, and their stake in French club FC Annecy, the informal pipeline with ASEC Mimosas gives Villa an elite advantage in bypassing traditional scouting bottlenecks.
By locking down talent like Dosso years before they hit the broader European market, Villa successfully integrate exciting talent into their academy to develop future first-team stars or generate transfer profit.
This strategy effectively ensures that a constant cycle of young players evolves the squad to a first-team level, eliminating the need to spend big elsewhere.
