Player who once faced Mbappe officially cleared to play in the V-League

Nam Dinh Steel is set to register Arnaud Lusamba for the second stage of the V-League, taking over from Blom. The DR Congo midfielder hopes to elevate the midfield of the Nam Dinh squad.

Nam Dinh Steel has completed the final procedures to register midfielder Arnaud Lusamba for the second phase of the 2025/26 V-League season. Accordingly, the player holding Democratic Republic of Congo nationality will fill the foreign player slot left by Njabulo Blom, who has been unable to play for Nam Dinh due to injury.

Arnaud Lusamba joined Nam Dinh Steel on a free transfer on October 7, 2025. Although he has been training with the Nam Dinh team recently, the midfielder born in 1997 can only officially compete from the second phase of the V-League due to foreign player registration restrictions in the first half.

Born on January 4, 1997, in Metz, France, Lusamba has Cape Verdean and Congolese heritage. Standing 1.80m tall, he developed through Nancy's youth academy before establishing his name in Ligue 1 with Nice. There, he had the chance to compete against world-class stars like Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

After his time in France, Lusamba gained experience in various leagues including Belgium (Cercle Brugge), Turkey (Alanyaspor, Pendikspor), and the UAE (Baniyas). To date, the 29-year-old midfielder has made 290 club appearances, scored 19 goals, and provided 33 assists, reflecting a consistent career.

At the international level, Lusamba represented France’s youth teams from U16 to U19 before choosing to play for the DR Congo national team from 2022, earning 2 international caps so far.

Technically, Arnaud Lusamba is highly regarded for his ball-winning ability, tempo control, and passing accuracy. Besides his primary role as a central midfielder, he can also perform well as a defensive or attacking midfielder. Currently, Transfermarkt values him at 800,000 Euros.

Nam Dinh Steel’s decision to select Lusamba as Blom’s replacement demonstrates their determination to reinforce the midfield during the crucial final stage of the season. With extensive experience and strong physical fitness, Lusamba is expected to quickly become a key link, helping the Nam Dinh team maintain their competitive ambitions in the V-League and international tournaments.