Wales winger Sorba Thomas makes move to Nantes in Ligue 1

The 25-year-old winger, who has won eight caps after qualifying through his Newport-born mother and was a member of the 2022 World Cup squad, makes the switch to the French top tier from Huddersfield after their relegation from the Championship.

If Thomas is a success for Nantes, who finished 14th last season, then there is the option to make the move permanent for an undisclosed fee.

“Sorba’s attitude has been first class in the time I’ve spent with him, and even with rumours swirling around his future, he’s trained well and worked hard to improve,” said Huddersfield boss Michael Duff.

“I can’t ask anything more than that as a head coach, especially as we knew the likelihood of him moving on this summer.

“We’ve known that this news was on the cards for some time, which has helped us train and prepare accordingly.

“A move that is in the best interest of everyone concerned, it has created new opportunities for others in our squad to step up and make that place their own.”

SWITCH: Wales international Sorba Thomas has moved from Huddersfield to Nantes (Image: Jess Hornby)

Thomas signed for Huddersfield in January 2021 from non-league Boreham Wood, initially joining the B team before making the step up to the firsts in 2021/22.

Starting that campaign brilliantly, he was named the Sky Bet Championship player of the month for August, with Town going on to reach the play-off final at Wembley.

Thomas had a loan spell with Blackburn Rovers in January 2022 before returning to the Terriers that summer.

He currently has 125 appearances for Huddersfield, with seven goals and 31 assists, with his contract running through to 2026.

Thomas has consistently been linked with moves after the club’s relegation but sporting director Mark Cartwright praised the winger’s approach.

“Sorba has been misunderstood in the past, there’s an idea of him that’s prevalent which isn’t a fair reflection of who he is,” he said.

“By giving him the opportunity to play in a top five league in the world abroad, he has the chance to explore a new challenge, to concentrate on his game and remind people of what he’s capable of on the pitch.

“Having signed a long-term deal with the club, he still has several years remaining on his contract with us.

“While we have worked with him to find a move this summer knowing it was in our collective best interests, having seen him improve so much since joining us and become an international footballer, we continue to value him extremely highly.

“Everyone at the club wishes Sorba all the best for his loan with Nantes, and we’ll be watching on with a keen eye.”