Fans were taken by surprise as Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar declared he wanted to join Swansea City after reportedly being offered a deal to move to south Wales. But who is the forward and what has he achieved in his career so far? Vincent Aboubakar is a 25-year-old striker who currently plays for Porto and Cameroon.

He spent last season on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, where he scored scoring 18 goals as the Istanbul-based outfit won their second consecutive Süper Lig title. Aboubakar started his career at Cotonsport de Garoua in his native Cameroon in 2009, but it wasn’t long before he moved to French side Valenciennes a year later.

He spent three years there before moving to fellow Ligue 1 side Lorient on a free transfer. Aboubakar would have a breakthrough season in 2013/14, where he scored 17 goals in 38 games as Lorient achieved an eighth placed finish.
His scoring exploits would catch the attention of Portuguese giants Porto, who would spend €3 million to secure 30 per cent of his economic rights. He scored 17 goals in 42 games over the course of two seasons, before joining Besiktas on loan in 2016.

Aboubakar currently has one year remaining on his Porto deal, and reports suggests a £4million fee may be enough to prize him to South Wales. However, second flight big-spenders Wolves, who have just broken the Championship transfer record with their signing of Ruben Neves, are also rumoured to be tracking the Cameroon international.

The departure of Borja Baston to Real Betis and speculation surrounding Fernando Llorente’s future means Swansea will look to add at least one new face up front before the season starts next month. Aboubakar would come to the Liberty Stadium with plenty of European pedigree, having scored goals in the French, Portuguese and Turkish top divisions.

Aboubakar made his debut for Les Lions in 2009, coming off the bench in Cameroon’s friendly 1-1 draw with Slovakia. He featured prominently in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, and Aboubakar would come off the bench to score a late winner to secure Cameroon’s first continental title in 15 years in their 2-1 victory over Egypt.

Aboubakar also represented his country at the recent Confederations Cup in Russia, scoring in Cameroon’s 3-1 defeat to eventual winners Germany, as the African side departed the competition at the group stages. He has featured 60 times for his nation, scoring 18 goals.

Source: Wales Online