Premier League cult hero, 35, jets into IRAN to join 10th club of rollercoaster career on free transfer

4 months ago 49

FORMER Premier League star Steven Nzonzi is set to join the 10th club of his unbelievable career.

The 35-year-old Frenchman will join Iranian first division side Sepahan on a free transfer following the completion of routine medical checks and the penning of his contract.

a man wearing a t-shirt that says ' ferrari ' on it

Steven Nzonzi is set to join Iranian club Sepahan[/caption]

a man in a black t-shirt with the word sport on it

The midfielder has landed in Iran to finalise his deal[/caption]

a man holding a bouquet of flowers with the word foot on the bottom

Sepahan will be Nzonzi’s 10th professional club[/caption]

a man carrying a bag that says rainmatec on it

He joins the Iranian side as a free agent following an exit from Turkish club Konyaspor[/caption]

Nzonzi, who spent time in the Premier League with Stoke and Blackburn, is currently a free agent following the expiation of his deal with Turkish outfit Konyaspor.

The defensive midfielder will now carry on his playing career which has seen him play in SEVEN different countries.

Nzonzi started his career on the books at Ligue 2 club Amiens SC, graduating from their academy and earning himself a Premier League switch to Blackburn Rovers in 2009 for a fee of £650,000.

He stayed at Ewood Park for three seasons before switching to Stoke City in 2012 where he played alongside stars such as Peter Crouch, Marko Arnautovic and Michael Owen.

SUNSPORT'S TRANSFER NEWS LIVE

STAY in the know this summer with The Sun's transfer experts.

Ivan Toney was left out of Brentford’s opening match of the 2024/25 Premier League season due to transfer interest from elsewhere.

Newcastle have reportedly made a fourth bid worth £65million for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

Chelsea are in talks with Atletico Madrid regarding a permanent move for Joao Felix.

Should an agreement be reached, it could resurrect the sale of Conor Gallagher to the Spanish giants.

Follow our LIVE TRANSFER BLOG for all the latest deals, gossip and exclusives.

During his stints with Stoke and Blackburn he racked up an impressive 195 Premier League appearances and earned himself a move to play Champions League football with Sevilla.

Nzonzi stayed at Sevilla for three years and helped the club lift the Europa League in 2016 under the management of Unai Emery.

His efforts with Sevilla didn’t go unnoticed either, with a £23million switch to Roma following soon after.

However, his big money move to the Italian capital wasn’t the biggest thing that happened in the summer of 2018.

a soccer player with the number 15 on his jersey

Nzonzi shot to fame in the UK when he signed for Blackburn Rovers in 2009[/caption]

a soccer player wearing a red and white jersey that says bet365

He later joined Stoke City[/caption]

BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS

Nzonzi became a World Cup winner with France, playing in all-but two of France’s games as they lifted the iconic trophy in Russia.

Nzonzi’s time with Roma was disrupted by loan moves to Galatasaray and Stade Rennais, before he left the club in 2021 to join Qatari side Al-Rayyan on a free transfer.

After two years of playing alongside James Rodriguez in the Middle East, Nzonzi left to join Konyaspor last summer where he spent the season before his imminent move to Sepahan.

Nzonzi had been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal throughout his career, while clubs such as West Ham, Barcelona and Everton were also rumoured to be keen in the midfield star.

Across his enviable list of former employers Nzonzi has made 583 career appearances, scoring 34 times and registering 26 assists.

While his efforts for the French national side have seen him earn 20 caps across the World Cup, Nations League and a number of International friendlies.