Daouda Traoré (born 22 July 2006) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Le Mans, on loan from club Southampton.
Club career
Nice Born in Ivry-sur-Seine in the Ile-de-France, Traoré played at local clubs in the region before joining Nice youth team in 2021. Traoré made his senior debut with Nice's reserves team in the 2022–23 Championnat National 3. On 14 October 2022, he signed his first professional contract with Nice. On 8 February 2024, he made his professional debut in a 4–1 Coupe de France victory against Montpellier. Later that year, on 19 May, he made his Ligue 1 debut in a 2–2 away draw against Lille.
Southampton On 30 August 2024, Traoré joined Premier League side Southampton and was subsequently sent on loan to Valenciennes for the 2024–25 season.
On 14 August 2025, he joined La Liga side Real Betis on a season-long loan. He was assigned to the reserve team Betis Deportivo in the third-tier Primera Federación. On 2 February 2026, Traoré moved to Serie B club Bari on loan, with an option to buy.
On 6 August 2026, he joined Ligue 1 club Le Mans on a season-long loan with an option to buy.
International career Traoré was born in France and is of Senegalese and Malian descent, holding triple nationality. He was called up to the France U17 squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He appeared in four matches during the tournament but didn't play in the final, as France was beaten by Germany in the penalty shootouts after a 0–0 draw in regular time.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupOtherTotal DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsNice II2022–23Championnat National 312100——121Nice2023–24Ligue 11010——20Southampton2024–25Premier League000000—002025–26Championship000000—002026–27Championship000000—00Total0000000000Valenciennes (loan)2024–25Championnat National27040—00310Betis Deportivo (loan)2025–26Primera Federación5000——50Bari (loan)2025–26Serie B9000——90Le Mans (loan)2026–27Ligue 11000——10Career total551500000601
Honours France U17 UEFA European Under-17 Championship runner-up: 2023
References