A Cameroonian-Italian big man on ASVEL’s radar for a loan?
Dec 31, 2025
Tom Compayrot
Paul Eboua to ASVEL: an interior reinforcement from Trapani after Nando De Colo’s departure
Betclic ELITE - Paul Eboua will strengthen ASVEL. Following Nando De Colo's departure to Fenerbahce Istanbul, the Villeurbanne club is reinforcing its frontcourt with the Cameroonian big man, coming from Trapani.
Photo Credit : FIBA
After agreeing to release Nando De Colo, who joined Fenerbahce Istanbul, ASVEL will announce a signing to rebalance its roster. As expected, Paul Eboua (6’8″, 25 years old) will strengthen Pierric Poupet’s team’s interior, in a context where the Villeurbanne frontcourt lacked depth, especially at the highest European level.
Paul Eboua, a targeted profile for the frontcourt
At 25 years old, Paul Eboua arrives from Trapani, where he was on loan from Olimpia Milan. Playing in Serie A and the Basketball Champions League (BCL) with the Sicilian club, the power forward established himself as a dominant force on the boards, becoming the top rebounder in the Italian championship this season (9.5 per game).
In L’Équipe, ASVEL’s deputy president Gaëtan Muller summarized what the newcomer is expected to bring: « He will bring us rebounding, defense, and offensive aggression. » A description that fits the profile of a primarily energetic player, capable of impacting the game without monopolizing the ball.
Paul EBOUA
Position(s): Power Forward / Center
Height: 202 cm
Age: 25 years old (02/15/2000)
Nationality:
Stats 2025-2026 / Lega Basket Serie A
PTS
10.4
#68
REB
9.5
#1
AST
0.6
#138
A favorable context for his arrival
On loan to Trapani for eighteen months, Paul Eboua saw his situation change abruptly with the Sicilian club’s serious financial difficulties. Between sporting penalties and institutional sanctions, Trapani’s future darkened, precipitating the departure of several key players from the roster.
In this context, ASVEL was opportunistic, as it had been last season with Ben Bentil, who also arrived from Southern Italy. A pattern that repeats itself, with a big man seeking exposure at the highest European level. Let’s hope for Lyon-Villeurbanne that Eboua will have more success than Bentil.
A new face in EuroLeague
Having played in the G-League during the 2020-2021 season, Paul Eboua will discover the EuroLeague in Villeurbanne colors. He joins a heavily revamped frontcourt, composed of players still relatively inexperienced at this level, such as Bodian Massa, Bastien Vautier, Zac Seljaas and Armel Traoré, in addition to Mbaye Ndiaye.
While his exact role in Pierric Poupet’s rotation remains to be seen, the arrival of the Cameroonian international gives ASVEL a valuable additional option, especially in more physical sequences where the lack of toughness has sometimes been felt since the start of the season.
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
Commentaires