LAFC announced today that the Club has signed forward Denis Bouanga to a Designated Player contract pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
Bouanga, 27, joins LAFC after spending the last three years at AS Saint-Ètienne in Ligue 1, the French First Division. In his time in France’s top flight with Saint-Ètienne Bouanga made a total of 96 appearances and registered 26 goals and 13 assists in 7,198 minutes played.
“Denis is a proven attacker in the prime of his career and is an excellent complement to our group,” said LAFC Co-President and General Manager John Thorrington said. “He is a player in high demand, and we are grateful he and his family have chosen to continue his career in L.A. in order to help us achieve our ultimate goal of winning trophies.”
A native of Le Mans, France, Bouanga has represented Gabon 32 times at the international level, making his national team debut in a 1-1 draw vs. Guinea during the Africa Cup of Nations on January 14, 2017. Bouanga has registered seven goals and four assists across all competitions for Gabon.
Bouanga made his last appearance for Saint-Ètienne, now playing in Ligue 2, on July 30 where he registered an assist in his lone game of the 2022-23 season. Bouanga made a total of 110 appearances and registered 28 goals and 16 assists across all competitions for Saint-Ètienne since 2019, including five Europa League matches.
He began his youth career playing for his local club FC Lemans, where he climbed the ranks, playing his final season for the U-19 squad during the 2013-14 season.
In 2015 Bouanga joined Ligue 1 side FC Lorient, making 25 appearances for FC Lorient B and scoring 12 goals before making his Ligue 1 debut with Lorient on August 8, 2015 against Olympique Lyon. Bouanga made a total of four appearances and scored one goal in his first season in Ligue 1.
Bouanga went on loan with RC Strasbourg in 2016 scoring five goals and registering three assists in 18 appearances, helping Strasbourg earn promotion to Ligue 2. He continued on loan during the 2016-17 season with Tours FC, making 37 appearances and registering 16 goals and six assists across all competitions for the Ligue 2 side.
Bouanga joined Nimes of France’s Ligue 1 on a permanent transfer from Lorient to start the 2018 season, making 38 appearances and scoring eight goals across all competitions, and then moved to Saint-Ètienne in 2019, where he would go on to lead the club in scoring during his time there.
TRANSACTON: Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) signs Denis Bouanga to a Designated Player contract.
