Moussa Niakhaté

#4 · Defender · age 30

Club

Olympique Lyonnais

France · Ligue 1

Caps

Intl goals

WC26 rating

high confidence

Recent form: 55
Career peak: 86
League level: 88
Competition pedigree: 81
International pedigree: 64
Longevity: 66

Independent rating — league strength (Opta-anchored) × competition tier × position-normalized output. Not affiliated with EA or FIFA.

Career by season

Season	Club	Competition	Apps	Gls	Ast	Rating
2026	—	AFCON	4	0	0	—
25/26	Olympique Lyonnais	Ligue 1	32	0	2	—
25/26	Olympique Lyonnais	UEFA Europa League	9	1	0	—
2025	—	AFCON	2	0	0	—
24/25	Olympique Lyonnais	Ligue 1	31	0	0	—
24/25	Olympique Lyonnais	UEFA Europa League	9	0	0	—
23/24	Nottingham Forest Football Club	Premier League	21	1	0	—
23/24	Nottingham Forest Football Club	FA Cup	1	0	0	—
23/24	Nottingham Forest Football Club	EFL Cup	1	0	0	—
22/23	Nottingham Forest Football Club	Premier League	14	0	0	—
21/22	1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05	Bundesliga	30	4	0	—
21/22	1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05	DFB-Pokal	3	0	0	—
20/21	1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05	Bundesliga	32	3	1	—
20/21	1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05	DFB-Pokal	2	0	0	—
19/20	1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05	Bundesliga	33	1	2	—
19/20	1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05	DFB-Pokal	1	0	0	—
18/19	1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05	Bundesliga	33	1	2	—
18/19	1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05	DFB-Pokal	1	0	0	—
17/18	Football Club de Metz	Ligue 1	35	0	1	—

Source: transfermarkt · fetched 2026-05-29

Niakhaté is the most-likely partner for Koulibaly at centre-back — a younger, quicker left-sided defender who lets Koulibaly play more centrally. The Lyon Ligue 1 form will be tested by the step up to a French front line, but the partnership is the settled first-choice.

Strengths

Aerial duels
Left-sided positioning behind Jakobs

Recent form

Lyon regular through 2025-26.

Captained Forest as part of their 2023 Premier League survival run.