Egypt striker Mustafa Mohamed has been ordered to train with Nantes’ reserves “until further notice” after returning late from his summer break and refusing to report for pre‐season, the French club has decided.
The 28-year-old finally reappeared at the Ligue 2 side’s training centre earlier this week, having been due back on 24 June but failing to show up – a disappearance that left Nantes unsure of his whereabouts for almost a month.
Mohamed, who has made clear he wants to leave the club this summer, is now at the centre of a growing stand-off over his conduct, salary and future, in the wake of Nantes’ relegation from Ligue 1.
Isolated training after unexplained absence
According to regional newspaper Ouest-France, Mohamed returned to the club’s facilities earlier this week and on Wednesday took part in an individual training session away from the first team.
The senior squad are currently based in La Baule for a week-long training camp ahead of the new season, while Mohamed has been instructed to remain in Nantes and work on his own.
The report says the initial internal decision is clear: “سيتدرب الفرعون المصري بعد ذلك مع الفريق الرديف حتى اشعار اخر” – “The Egyptian Pharaoh will then train with the reserve team until further notice.”
Nantes have already dropped him from their plans for the first-team group for now, underlining the seriousness with which the club views the episode.
Daily warnings and suspension of pay
Ouest-France reports that Nantes began sending Mohamed a written notice every day from 24 June, informing him that he would not receive his salary until he returned to the training ground.
The club took the position that his absence was unauthorised, and used the letters both to press for his return and to formalise the decision to stop paying his wages while he stayed away.
Mohamed, who joined Nantes permanently from Galatasaray for €6.5m in 2023 after an initial loan spell, has only one year remaining on his contract.
Coach fumes: ‘Let him stay at home’
Nantes head coach Michel Der Zakarian reacted angrily when asked about the situation, saying he had never seen such behaviour from a player.
The former Montpellier manager said: ” اللاعب لا يريد الحضور الى التدريب، هذه مشكلته هو، وليست مشكلتنا. اذا لم يرغب في التدريب، فليبق في المنزل”.
His frustration reflects a wider feeling at the club that Mohamed’s stance has undermined preparations for a season in which Nantes are trying to secure immediate promotion back to Ligue 1.
Player pushing for exit after pay cut
Mohamed has not hidden his desire to leave this summer, particularly after his wages were reduced following Nantes’ drop into the French second tier.
The Egypt international – who was left out of the Pharaohs’ 2026 World Cup qualifying squad by national coach Hossam Hassan – is understood to be seeking a move that would both restore his salary level and keep him in top-flight football.
However, Ouest-France says offers for the forward have been scarce so far, complicating any potential transfer.
Nantes reluctant to sell on the cheap
Despite their frustration, Nantes are not willing to allow the former Zamalek striker to depart for nothing.
The club, eight-time champions of France, “لا يعول النادي الفرنسي… على مصطفى محمد كثيرا لقيادة عملية الصعود لليج 1، لكنه لا ينوي التخلي مجانا عن لاعب تعاقد معه مقابل 6.5 مليون يورو من جالطة سراي في عام 2023” – they do not place heavy reliance on Mohamed to spearhead their promotion bid, but they have no intention of simply writing off their 2023 investment.
With only a year left on his deal, the stalemate threatens to drag on: Nantes want a fee that reflects his cost and international status, while interested clubs may wait, hoping his price will drop as the transfer window progresses.
For now, Mohamed faces life outside the first-team picture, working with the reserves and away from the main group, as both player and club head into a crucial summer at odds over the next step in his career.
