Four years for a Ligue 2 left-back
Basel wanted him too. Angers moved faster.
Joseph Kalulu is joining SCO on a four-year deal, leaving Pau at 21 for his first taste of the top flight. The two clubs settled terms over recent weeks and the fee has stayed private, though Kalulu still had two years left on his contract in Ligue 2, which gave Pau room to hold out for a decent number.
The season that moved him up a bracket
A year ago he was a second-tier prospect sitting on a few shortlists. Then came a run of performances that put him among the eight nominees for Ligue 2’s breakout player. An unofficial award, worth little on its own, but scouts noticed.
What Pau got from him was volume down the flank and a defender still adding pieces to his game. Angers are not buying a finished product. They are buying the curve.
Ekomie’s exit leaves the flank open
The timing tells you plenty. Jacques Ekomie is expected to move on, and the left-back slot goes with him.
So Kalulu should play, and play soon, which is rarely the case for a 21-year-old stepping up a division. Ligue 1 wingers will find out quickly how well he reads danger. Consistency is the part that tends to catch young full-backs out, not raw ability.
Pau found him. Angers are betting they can finish the job.
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