Simon Ebonog Scout Report — Le Havre | Ligue 1 22-Year-Old Cameroonian-French Defensive Midfielder

Altyapı Ülkeleri Ligi series — France (Ligue 1): Le Havre
With Le Havre’s left-back slot completed by the Djibril Ouziad report, the series now moves to the fifth stop in the club’s eight-position file: defensive midfield. The player under the microscope is Simon Ebonog, the 22-year-old, Cameroon-born dual national (Cameroon/France) defensive midfielder who came through the club’s academy and has started all six of the season’s opening matches.

Identity and biography table

Career and development history

Ebonog began his football career at PSG’s academy (2009-2014, joining at age 7), before moving to INF Clairefontaine (2014-2016) and joining Le Havre’s academy in 2016. He made 35 appearances and scored 3 goals for Le Havre’s reserve side (in CFA 2, 2021-2024), signed his first professional contract in summer 2022, and made his Ligue 2 debut on 29 April 2023 as a substitute in a 2-1 away win at Caen. He spent the 2024-25 season on loan at AS Nancy (loaned out on 21 August 2024, returning on 30 June 2025), making 18 total appearances (16 in the Championnat National/Ligue 3) and recording 1 goal and 2 assists; he was part of Nancy’s squad that won the Championnat National title in 2024-25. He has played for Le Havre since July 2025; as of 10 October 2026, his career totals stood at 94 appearances and 5 goals across all levels/competitions. In the 2025-26 season at Le Havre, he made roughly 21 starts plus 9 substitute appearances across league and cup competitions, scoring 1 Ligue 1 goal (against Auxerre in a 1-1 draw on 5 April 2026). One source (a single, undated aggregator article) reports that Monaco had reached an agreement in principle to sign him that subsequently fell through; this should be treated as a low-confidence, unverified rumour.

Season statistics

Ebonog started all six of Le Havre’s 2026-27 Ligue 1 matches played as of 10 October 2026 (6 starts in 6 matches, no substitute appearances), though he was substituted off during 2 matches. He has no goals or assists yet, and has received no yellow or red cards. His cumulative statistics are reported as 246 passes and 4 shots (2 on target). A detailed match-by-match breakdown (minutes, cards per fixture) could not be obtained for this report — the available sources give only season aggregates, and this should be explicitly flagged as a data gap.

Playing style analysis

A club preview describes Ebonog as “a good ball-winner” who “will look to keep things simple when he’s on the ball” — pointing to a disciplined, low-risk defensive midfielder profile centred on duels and positioning rather than a more adventurous playmaking or box-to-box role. No detailed advanced metrics (tackles, interceptions, duel-win percentage) were found during research, so this style assessment is limited to the available general descriptions.

Le Havre context: why his role matters

Ebonog’s emergence as the clear first-choice name in this role this season is directly linked to the long-term absence of the club’s long-serving captain and natural “6,” Abdoulaye Touré (#94), who has been out since January 2026 with a serious knee injury (no return date reported, 0 appearances in 2026-27). This has allowed Ebonog — an academy product who gained experience during a title-winning loan spell at Nancy — to take on central midfield responsibility during a season in which the club is fighting a relegation battle. Other central-midfield names on the books (such as Rassoul Ndiaye, Amir Richardson, Kaito Mizuta, Junior Mwanga, Daren Mosengo, Gautier Lloris, Guy-Noël Zohouri and Rayan Fofana) remain in the squad, but none present a clear “6” profile or hold regular starting status, which further underlines the importance of Ebonog’s role.

Strengths

• Started all six of Le Havre’s opening 2026-27 matches with no substitute appearances — the club’s clear first-choice defensive midfielder
• A long-standing academy product with a PSG academy background before joining Le Havre
• Won the Championnat National title during his loan spell at AS Nancy — a winning experience
• Described as having a disciplined, low-risk playing style — a “keeps it simple” profile that could reduce error risk
• No yellow or red cards yet — a clean disciplinary start to the season

Weaknesses

• No goals or assists yet, with limited attacking contribution so far
• A notable conflict exists between sources over his contract expiry (2027 or 2029) and market value (a €0.9M-€4.0M range)
• No call-ups from the senior national team of either country, limiting his international recognition
• No detailed advanced statistics (tackles, duel-win percentage) could be found for this report, making it difficult to assess his true defensive effectiveness
• The rumour of Monaco’s transfer interest could not be verified and should not be treated as reliable information

GegenSports score: 55/100

This score is GegenSports’s own original assessment; it is not a rating from another platform. Breakdown: current form and starting status (6 starts in 6 matches, no substitute appearances) 16/20, discipline and style reliability (no cards, a “keeps it simple” profile) 12/20, career history and winning experience (the Nancy title, academy pedigree) 11/20, attacking contribution and advanced-stats clarity (no goals/assists yet, detailed data unavailable) 7/20, data clarity and source reliability (conflicts over contract and market value) 9/20. The score reflects a young player who is the club’s clear first-choice defensive midfielder but has yet to show attacking contribution, with some basic data about him (contract, market value) still unresolved.

Comparable players (role-based comparison)

The names below are not statistical one-to-one matches but qualitative comparisons based on playing profile and career trajectory:

• The player rising to fill an injured captain’s gap archetype: A young midfielder who steps up and takes on responsibility when a club’s established name (in this case Touré) suffers a serious injury, making the most of the opportunity.
• The player who wins a title on loan and returns to his club archetype: A young player who goes on loan to a lower-division club, wins a title there, and carries that experience and confidence back to his parent club.
• The disciplined, low-risk defensive midfielder archetype: A classic “6” profile focused on positioning and duels rather than risky passing or progression — a player who “keeps it simple.”

As data about Ebonog (particularly his contract and market value) becomes clearer and whether his attacking contribution develops becomes apparent, these comparisons will be better tested; for now they rest on trajectory and context rather than statistical projection.

Süper Lig fit and suitable Turkish clubs

Ebonog’s profile — young, disciplined, an academy product with title-winning loan experience — could theoretically interest Süper Lig mid-table clubs seeking balance in central midfield. However, his current clear first-choice status at the club and the uncertainty over his market value/contract make a short-term transfer assessment difficult at present. This report is not based on any concrete talks or offer information; the Monaco rumour has also not been verified.

Cost and value-for-money scenarios

There is a wide discrepancy in his market value across sources: Flashscore lists €4.0M, while other sources show figures in the €0.9M-€2.7M range. Being an academy product who won a title during his loan season suggests he represents a low-cost investment for the club; his market value could become clearer and be revised upward if his form continues.

Development potential

At 22, Ebonog is a defensive midfielder in the development phase of his career; having featured in all six of the season’s opening matches shows the coaching staff trusts him. The key question is how much his attacking contribution (goals, assists) can grow, and whether he can retain his status in the position if Touré returns from injury.

Injuries and availability

No injury record specific to Ebonog was found during research; his having featured in all six of the season’s opening matches shows he is currently healthy and active. It should be noted that the club’s captain, Abdoulaye Touré, has been sidelined since January 2026 with a serious knee injury, but this should not be confused with Ebonog’s own injury history.

Foreign-player status and TFF quota

As a dual national (Cameroon/France), how Ebonog would be assessed under the TFF’s regulations at a Süper Lig club would depend on which passport he plays under; if registered as French, he would fall under the TFF’s EU/EEA-origin player regulations, though he would still count toward the foreign-player quota.

Suitable leagues

Given his profile, Ebonog fits leagues at the mid-level European tier (Ligue 1’s mid-to-lower table, Süper Lig and similar) seeking a disciplined, low-risk defensive midfielder. His current clear first-choice status at the club makes a league change scenario unlikely in the short term.

Sporting director summary

Ebonog, an academy product who won a title during his loan spell at AS Nancy, has become the clear first-choice defensive midfielder in 2026-27 following captain Touré’s injury, at 22 years old. His disciplined, “keeps it simple” playing style shows him as a reliable profile who has yet to demonstrate attacking contribution. The key question for sporting directors is whether his attacking output will grow over time, and how the squad balance will shift if Touré returns from injury.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Simon Ebonog? A 22-year-old, Cameroon-born dual national (Cameroon/France) who wears Le Havre’s number 26 shirt, came through the club’s academy, and became the clear first-choice defensive midfielder following captain Abdoulaye Touré’s injury.

What position does he play? Central/defensive midfielder.

When does his contract expire? Sources conflict: some list 2029, others 2027.

What is his status at Le Havre in 2026-27? He started all six of the season’s opening matches, with no goals or assists yet and no cards received.

Does he have national team experience? He has played at least two France U20 friendly caps; no call-ups from the senior national team of either Cameroon or France.

Would he fit the Süper Lig? Theoretically attractive as a profile, but his current clear first-choice status at the club and data uncertainties make a short-term transfer assessment difficult at present.

What is his market value? Sources disagree significantly: Flashscore lists €4.0M, while other sources show figures in the €0.9M-€2.7M range.

Does he have an injury history? No injury record specific to him was found.

Le Havre file’s fifth report

This is the series’ fifth report on the Le Havre file, following the goalkeeper (Gauthier Gallon), centre-back (Ayumu Seko), right-back (Elias Jelert) and left-back (Djibril Ouziad) reports — the defensive midfield stop. As Le Havre’s eight-position file is completed, the series will move on to attacking midfield, winger and striker in turn.

Sources

• Wikipedia (English and French): Simon Ebonog biography and career history
• Footmercato: season statistics and squad information
• Soccerway and Flashscore: market value and contract data (with conflicts between them)
• StatSniper: additional season statistics
• Foot-Direct and starting11.com: Abdoulaye Touré’s injury status (for context)
• Africasoccer.com: report on the Monaco transfer rumour (unverified, flagged as low-reliability)

Sources not accessible: Transfermarkt’s own profile page could not be accessed directly for this report; market value and contract expiry are relayed via secondary sources, with notable discrepancies between them (a €0.9M-€4.0M market-value range, and a 2027-or-2029 contract conflict). A detailed match-by-match statistical breakdown (minutes, cards) could not be obtained for this report — only season aggregates were available. No longer official name for Ebonog was found in any source. Detailed advanced playing-style statistics (tackles, duel-win percentage) could not be found. Information is current as of 16 October 2026 and should be updated as the season progresses. This report does not constitute investment or legal advice.