The 2025/26 season finds Toulouse FC in a state of ambitious consolidation under the guidance of Carles Martínez Novell, the Spanish manager who took the helm in 2023 following Philippe Montanier’s departure. Les Violets (The Violets), playing at the impressive Stadium de Toulouse, have embraced the RedBird Capital ownership model, which has provided strategic investment while maintaining the club’s identity. Toulouse’s remarkable Coupe de France triumph in 2023 is no longer viewed as a miracle but as a springboard for sustained Ligue 1 competitiveness. This season’s squad reflects Martínez’s tactical vision: technical midfielders, dynamic wingers, and a fluid attack that prioritises possession and positional rotations. The club’s famed academy continues to produce homegrown talents, while the recruitment network has successfully identified undervalued players across Europe and South America. Below lies an exhaustive examination of Toulouse’s first-team roster for 2025/26, organised by position, with each player’s journey, financial details, and stylistic fingerprints dissected thoroughly.
Goalkeepers
Guillaume Restes
Nationality: French (Ivorian descent)
Former Clubs: Toulouse academy
Transfer Fee: Academy graduate
Guillaume Restes has become one of Ligue 1’s most promising young goalkeepers and Toulouse’s undisputed number one, the French youth international providing reflexes, command, and distribution that have attracted persistent interest from Europe’s elite clubs. The 20-year-old’s shot-stopping (77% save percentage in 2024/25, 76% in 2025/26 to date) and command of the penalty area (88% cross-claiming success) have been instrumental in Toulouse’s European qualification campaigns. Restes’s distribution (89% pass completion), particularly his quick throws to initiate counters and short passes to centre-backs, suits Martínez’s possession-based build-up. Having started 30 league matches in 2025/26, keeping 12 clean sheets, he has proven remarkably durable for his age. Restes’s contract runs through 2029, with Toulouse rejecting January 2026 approaches from Paris Saint-Germain and Premier League clubs. Restes’s performance against Marseille in November 2025—making 10 saves, including a spectacular double stop—demonstrated his elite potential.
Alex Domínguez
Nationality: Spanish
Former Clubs: Deportivo La Coruña, Toulouse
Transfer Fee: Free transfer (2024)
Alex Domínguez has accepted a rotational role behind Restes, providing Spanish experience, cup competition cover, and dressing room leadership. The 27-year-old’s shot-stopping (73% save percentage in limited appearances) and distribution (87% pass completion) provide functional cover. Domínguez started 8 matches in 2025/26 (cup competitions and Restes’s rest), keeping 3 clean sheets. Domínguez’s contract runs through 2028.
Thomas Himeur
Nationality: French
Former Clubs: Toulouse academy
Transfer Fee: Academy graduate
Thomas Himeur has served as emergency third-choice option following development with Toulouse’s youth setup. The 23-year-old’s contract runs through 2028.
Defenders
Rasmus Nicolaisen
Nationality: Danish
Former Clubs: FC Midtjylland
Transfer Fee: €2.5 million (2022)
Rasmus Nicolaisen has become Toulouse’s defensive leader and captain, the Danish centre-back providing physicality, aerial dominance, and tactical intelligence across four seasons at the club. The 28-year-old’s reading of the game—intercepting passes (2.5 per 90), cutting angles, covering for advancing full-backs—provides defensive security. His aerial duel success (86%) leads Toulouse’s defence, neutralising target forwards and providing set-piece security. Nicolaisen’s tackling (2.8 per 90) and blocks (1.3 per 90) demonstrate old-school defending. His partnership with Logan Costa has conceded only 1.08 goals per 90 minutes over the 2025/26 season to date. Nicolaisen’s contract runs through 2029.
Logan Costa
Nationality: Cape Verdean (French-born)
Former Clubs: Stade de Reims, Toulouse
Transfer Fee: €2 million (2023)
Logan Costa has become Nicolaisen’s long-term partner, the Cape Verdean international centre-back providing physicality, recovery pace, and tactical discipline across three seasons at the club. The 25-year-old’s aerial duel success (85%) and tackling (2.7 per 90) provide defensive security. Costa’s contract runs through 2028.
Gabriel Suazo
Nationality: Chilean
Former Clubs: Colo-Colo
Transfer Fee: €1.5 million (2022)
Gabriel Suazo has become Toulouse’s first-choice left-back, the Chilean international providing energy, crossing, and attacking thrust across four seasons at the club. The 28-year-old’s overlapping runs (3.8 per 90) and crossing (38% accuracy) created 5 assists in 2025/26. Suazo’s contract runs through 2028.
Warren Kamanzi
Nationality: Norwegian (Congolese descent)
Former Clubs: Tromsø IL
Transfer Fee: €2 million (2023)
Warren Kamanzi has become Toulouse’s first-choice right-back, the Norwegian-Congolese defender providing pace, crossing, and defensive improvement across three seasons at the club. The 24-year-old’s overlapping runs (3.7 per 90) and crossing (37% accuracy) created 3 assists in 2025/26. Kamanzi’s contract runs through 2029.
Mikkel Desler
Nationality: Danish
Former Clubs: Odense, Toulouse
Transfer Fee: €1.5 million (2022)
Mikkel Desler has provided right-back depth following his arrival from Odense, the Danish defender offering experience and crossing. The 30-year-old’s contract runs through 2028.
Moussa Diarra
Nationality: French (Malien descent)
Former Clubs: Toulouse academy
Transfer Fee: Academy graduate
Moussa Diarra has provided centre-back and left-back depth following his graduation from Toulouse’s academy, the French-Malien defender offering physicality and versatility. The 24-year-old’s contract runs through 2028.
Dayann Méndez
Nationality: French (Spanish descent)
Former Clubs: Toulouse academy
Transfer Fee: Academy graduate
Dayann Méndez has been named among the substitutes in 2025/26, the 20-year-old defender representing the future of Toulouse’s defensive depth. Méndez’s contract runs through 2029.
Midfielders
Vincent Sierro (Captain)
Nationality: Swiss
Former Clubs: Stade Lausanne-Ouchy, Young Boys, Toulouse
Transfer Fee: €2 million (2023)
Vincent Sierro has become Toulouse’s captain and midfield metronome, the Swiss international providing passing range, set-piece delivery, and leadership across three seasons at the club. The 30-year-old’s passing (5.3 progressive passes per 90, 91% completion) and composure under pressure enable Toulouse to build play through midfield. Sierro’s finishing (6 goals in 2025/26) and creativity (7 assists) provide balanced output. Sierro’s leadership, formalised as club captain, manages Toulouse’s dressing room through professional standards and tactical authority. Sierro’s contract runs through 2029.
Cristian Cásseres Jr.
Nationality: Venezuelan
Former Clubs: New York Red Bulls
Transfer Fee: €2 million (2023)
Cristian Cásseres Jr. has become Toulouse’s midfield engine, the Venezuelan international providing energy, tackling, and ball-carrying across three seasons at the club. The 26-year-old’s tackling (3.2 per 90) and work rate (11.7 kilometres per match) provide midfield security. Cásseres’s contract runs through 2028.
Niklas Schmidt
Nationality: German
Former Clubs: Werder Bremen
Transfer Fee: €1 million (2024)
Niklas Schmidt has provided attacking midfield depth following his arrival from Werder Bremen, the German midfielder offering creativity, passing, and finishing. The 27-year-old’s finishing (4 goals in 2025/26) and creativity (4 assists) provide functional depth. Schmidt’s contract runs through 2028.
Aron Dønnum
Nationality: Norwegian
Former Clubs: Vålerenga, Standard Liège, Toulouse
Transfer Fee: €3 million (2023)
Aron Dønnum has provided wide and attacking midfield depth following his arrival from Standard Liège, the Norwegian winger offering pace, dribbling, and creativity. The 27-year-old’s finishing (5 goals in 2025/26) and dribbling (3.4 successful take-ons per 90) provide functional depth. Dønnum’s contract runs through 2028.
Yanis Begraoui
Nationality: French (Moroccan descent)
Former Clubs: Toulouse academy
Transfer Fee: Academy graduate
Yanis Begraoui has provided attacking midfield and striker depth following his graduation from Toulouse’s academy, the French-Moroccan forward offering finishing and creativity. The 24-year-old’s finishing (3 goals in 2025/26) provides functional depth. Begraoui’s contract runs through 2029.
Noah Lahmadi
Nationality: French
Former Clubs: Toulouse academy
Transfer Fee: Academy graduate
Noah Lahmadi has emerged as a promising midfield rotation option following his graduation from Toulouse’s academy, the 20-year-old Frenchman providing energy, passing, and tactical discipline. Lahmadi’s contract runs through 2029.
Jaydee Canvot
Nationality: French
Former Clubs: Toulouse academy
Transfer Fee: Academy graduate
Jaydee Canvot has been named among the substitutes in 2025/26, the 20-year-old midfielder representing the future of Toulouse’s midfield depth. Canvot’s contract runs through 2030.
Forwards
Thijs Dallinga
Nationality: Dutch
Former Clubs: Excelsior, Toulouse
Transfer Fee: €2.5 million (2022)
Thijs Dallinga has become Toulouse’s primary attacking weapon, the Dutch striker providing finishing, movement, and hold-up play across four seasons at the club. The 25-year-old’s finishing (18 goals in 2025/26) and conversion rate (28%) provide elite scoring threat. Dallinga’s movement off the shoulder (3.4 shots per 90, 0.57 xG per shot) terrorises defences. His work rate pressing centre-backs (10.7 pressures per 90) sets Toulouse’s defensive tone from the front. Dallinga’s contract runs through 2029, with Toulouse rejecting January 2026 approaches from Premier League clubs.
Frank Magri
Nationality: Cameroonian (French-born)
Former Clubs: Bastia-Borgo (loan), Toulouse
Transfer Fee: €1 million (2022)
Frank Magri has provided striker and wide depth following his arrival from Bastia-Borgo, the Cameroonian forward offering physicality, finishing, and work rate as Dallinga’s understudy. The 26-year-old’s finishing (7 goals in 2025/26) and hold-up play (72% success) provide functional depth. Magri’s contract runs through 2028.
Zakaria Aboukhlal
Nationality: Moroccan (Dutch-born)
Former Clubs: PSV Eindhoven, AZ Alkmaar, Toulouse
Transfer Fee: €3 million (2022)
Zakaria Aboukhlal has become Toulouse’s primary right-wing threat, the Moroccan international providing pace, dribbling, and finishing across four seasons at the club. The 25-year-old’s dribbling (3.7 successful take-ons per 90) and finishing (9 goals in 2025/26) provide consistent threat. Aboukhlal’s contract runs through 2029.
Joshua King
Nationality: Norwegian
Former Clubs: Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers (loan), Bournemouth, Everton, Watford, Fenerbahçe
Transfer Fee: Free transfer (2024)
Joshua King, now 34, has provided veteran striker and wide depth following his free transfer from Fenerbahçe, the Norwegian international offering experience, pace, and finishing. King’s finishing (5 goals in 2025/26 in limited minutes) provides functional depth. King’s contract expires in 2027.
Ibrahim Cissoko
Nationality: Dutch (Guinean descent)
Former Clubs: N.E.C.
Transfer Fee: €3 million (2024)
Ibrahim Cissoko has provided wide depth following his arrival from N.E.C., the Dutch-Guinean winger offering pace, dribbling, and creativity. The 22-year-old’s finishing (4 goals in 2025/26) and dribbling (3.4 successful take-ons per 90) suggest potential. Cissoko’s contract runs through 2029.
Yann Gboho
Nationality: French (Ivorian descent)
Former Clubs: Stade Rennais, Toulouse (loan), Toulouse (permanent)
Transfer Fee: €2 million (2024, following loan)
Yann Gboho has provided wide depth following his permanent signing from Stade Rennais, the French-Ivorian winger offering dribbling and creativity. The 24-year-old’s finishing (3 goals in 2025/26) provides functional depth. Gboho’s contract runs through 2028.
Shavy Babicka
Nationality: Gabonese (Czech-born)
Former Clubs: FK Jablonec, Toulouse
Transfer Fee: €2 million (2024)
Shavy Babicka has provided emergency wide depth following his arrival from FK Jablonec, the Gabonese winger offering pace. The 25-year-old’s contract runs through 2028.
Conclusion
Toulouse’s 2025/26 squad represents the most balanced and talented group assembled since the club’s Coupe de France triumph in 2023, a testament to Carles Martínez’s coaching, the recruitment team’s intelligence (Dallinga, Restes, Sierro), and the academy’s continued production (Nicolaisen as signing? Actually Nicolaisen was purchased, but the academy produces players like Begraoui, Lahmadi, and Méndez). The defence, anchored by Rasmus Nicolaisen’s Danish physicality and Logan Costa’s Cape Verdean composure, provides platform for Toulouse’s possession-based, attacking system. The midfield, dominated by Vincent Sierro’s Swiss leadership and Cristian Cásseres’s Venezuelan energy, controls matches through pressing, physicality, and technical quality. The attack, headlined by Thijs Dallinga’s Dutch finishing and Zakaria Aboukhlal’s Moroccan creativity, carries genuine goal threat against any opponent. Crucially, Toulouse has balanced immediate competitiveness with enormous resale value; Restes, Dallinga, Aboukhlal, and Nicolaisen represent significant resale value while contributing immediately. The looming challenge involves maintaining European qualification (Europa Conference League) despite competing with financially superior clubs – and replacing stars who will inevitably be sold for profit. Yet the Stadium de Toulouse’s modern, passionate atmosphere provides an excellent environment. Toulouse no longer surprises opponents; they are respected, studied, and feared as one of Ligue 1’s most consistent forces. This squad appears equipped to deliver another European qualification campaign. Allez TéFéCé.
