Mathieu Valbuena is on the verge of joining Santa Lucia FC. The 41-year-old former France winger would arrive as the Challenge League side push to strengthen their squad for a promotion chase. The move has moved quickly enough to put Santa Lucia FC and Valbuena at the center of the same transfer story.
Valbuena and Santa Lucia FC
Sources said Santa Lucia president Enes Usta has an agreement in place with Valbuena to move to the Maltese Challenge League side. That puts a former France international into a club that is trying to add experience without losing sight of promotion to the Malta Premier League.
Turkish journalist Salim Manav broke the story of the imminent move, and The Times of Malta said it can confirm Santa Lucia FC are on the verge of signing him. The shape of the deal is simple from the outside: one senior player, one lower-division club, and a move that is close enough to matter now.
Marseille and France
Valbuena’s profile comes from a long run at the top level. He starred for Marseille, won the 2010 Ligue 1 title, and lifted multiple Coupe de la Ligue titles there. He also earned 52 France caps, scored 8 goals, and played in the 2010 World Cup and the 2014 World Cup.
His career has taken him through France, Russia, Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, and he won three Greek Super League titles at Olympiacos. Last season, he was on the books of Olympiakos B, where he made 11 appearances, scored three goals, and registered three assists.
Santa Lucia FC promotion push
The complication is obvious. Santa Lucia FC are trying to climb, but they are doing it by targeting a 41-year-old with a career built on creativity, pace, and dribbling rather than a younger, resale-ready option. That is a bet on immediate quality and experience over longer-term upside.
For Santa Lucia FC, the move signals intent in the Challenge League. For Valbuena, it would add one more stop to a career that has already crossed several leagues and delivered trophies, caps, and World Cup appearances. The remaining step is the finalization of the move, and that is the part that will decide when he becomes Santa Lucia FC’s latest addition.
