Cameroon international Stephane Mbia has completed a move to Trabzonspor that will see him earn €10 million over the next three years.
Two years with Sevilla
Mbia's contract at Sevilla is due to expire this summer and he has decided to accept the lucrative offer that will take him to the Turkish Super Lig instead of staying with the Europa League winners. Mbia has spent the last two years in Andalusia with Sevilla after initially joining the club on loan ahead of the 2013/14 season. He played a key role in Unai Emery's team that won the Europa League which led to Los Rojiblancos offering him a one deal ahead of this season. Again Mbia impressed in midfield, this time alongside Grzegorz Krychowiak, as Sevilla retained their Europa League title and earning a place in the Champions League as tournament winners.
Before joining Sevilla, Mbia had spent an unsuccessful year in England with Queens Park Rangers after eight years in France where he had played for Rennes and Marseille. Mbia has represented his country 52 times since his international debut in 2005 and he was named Cameroon captain last summer when Samuel Eto'o retired from international football.
New beginning in Turkey
Mbia will now move to Turkey to play for Trabzonspor under the management of Ersun Yanal who led Fenerbahce to the Super Lig title in 2014. Yanal also had a spell in charge of Turkey between 2004 and 2005 and he will be hoping Mbia's experience can help the side improve on last season's 5th place finish in the Turkish top flight. That 5th place finish will see the club back in the Europa League and Yanal will be hopeful that the club can do better than this season where they were eliminated by Napoli in the last 32.
Mbia had several offers including the possibility of a move to Inter Milan but the Cameroon captain has made the decision to move to Turkey where he will attempt to help his new club win their first trophy since 2010.