Football agent Denis Namanya, also known as Prospers, the agent behind the transfer of Uganda Cranes rising star Travis Mutyaba, has spoken about his move to French club Girondins de Bordeaux.
In an interview on a local YouTube channel, Namanya shared that he began managing Mutyaba’s affairs when he turned 18. He noted that before that, he only knew Mutyaba as a talented young player who was under another agency’s management.
According to the agent, the highly-rated Uganda Cranes midfielder first joined Georgian champions Dinamo Tbilisi FC in 2023. However, after a few preseason games, the Georgian club, which has ties with Egyptian giants Zamalek SC, informed them that the player could first play for the Egyptian side as part of his development plan.
The agent agreed to the proposal, and Mutyaba signed a four-year contract with Zamalek as an Under-23 player, with a clause stating that if any team in Europe offered a better development plan, the contract could be terminated, allowing him to join another club.
“Zamalek did not pay his signing fees as agreed, but we could not take action, as we knew the club was financially constrained. As the agency, we supported the player during his stay in Egypt,” Namanya said.
Six months into his Zamalek contract, French clubs RC Lens and Bordeaux came knocking, expressing interest in signing the player.
“Lens plays in the top flight of the French league, but their transfer plan was a quick fix. We requested that they sign him as an Under-23 player, something they refused. Bordeaux presented a better development plan for the player, and we decided he should sign for the club,” he explained.
The agent revealed that the player informed him that the environment at Bordeaux seemed perfect for his development, despite having signed barely a week ago.
“We hope all goes well for the player and that in the future he can make a life-changing transfer,” he said.
Founded on October 1, 1881, Bordeaux is one of France’s most successful football clubs, boasting six Ligue 1 titles, the most recent in 2009, as well as four Coupe de France trophies and three Coupe de la Ligue victories. The club has a storied history, reaching the UEFA Cup final in 1996, where they faced Bayern Munich, and the Latin Cup final in 1950. While their former home was the Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux has played at the Matmut Atlantique since 2015.
However, the club has faced challenges recently, including administrative relegation to the Championnat National at the end of the 2023–24 season. After initially appealing the decision, they later withdrew their appeal. In August 2024, Bordeaux was further demoted to Championnat National 2 due to bankruptcy, resulting in financial administration imposed by the French football governing body.
Bordeaux has a rich legacy of talent, having been home to stars like Zinedine Zidane, striker Christophe Dugarry, and left-back Bixente Lizarazu. Currently, the club also features former Liverpool and Newcastle striker Andy Carroll. With Mutyaba’s arrival, the team hopes to rebuild and restore its former glory.
