Canadian Premier League side Vancouver FC made a major signing on Monday, bringing ex-AFC Bournemouth and Sheffield United striker Lys Mousset to the Lower Mainland. Mousset has signed a contract for the 2026 CPL season with a club option to extend it through 2027.
The 30-year-old French youth international came through the ranks at Le Havre before joining Premier League club Bournemouth ahead of the 2016/17 season. He scored five times in 71 appearances for the Cherries between 2016 and 2019 before joining newly-promoted Sheffield United for a club-record fee around £10 million. He was Sheffield United’s joint-leading scorer in the 2019-20 season with six goals as they finished ninth in the Premier League, including a memorable goal in a win over Arsenal.
With the Blades, Mousset scored nine goals in 53 appearances before leaving the club on loan to Serie A club Salernitana.
He joined Bundesliga side VfL Bochum after leaving Sheffield, but never made an appearance for the German side because of a combination of injuries and disciplinary issues. He had a brief loan spell at French club Nîmes before spending over a year without a club, resurfacing with League of Ireland side Bohemians in January 2025.
He had one goal in nine appearances across a six-month stint before leaving the club by mutual consent, and again received criticism about his fitness and commitment, with manager Alan Reynolds saying “if he wants to play football, he needs to get fit.”
Martin Nash will be the latest manager to try and work with Mousset and see if he can get him back to his best.
Mousset said “he’s feeling very good” despite joining the team late in preseason in an interview with the CPL’s official website, adding that “if I’m on the best level, I can help.”