Rafiki Saïd leaves Standard Liège for Wolves in double-figure deal

Rafiki Saïd is no longer a player of Standard Liège. The Comoros international has completed a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Belgian club confirmed the departure of Rafiki Saïd alongside the arrival of Alexis Trouillet, marking a busy day at the club. After one season in Liège, the left-sided player leaves for a reported double-figure transfer fee, providing a significant boost to the club’s finances.

Despite occasional frustrations over his inconsistency, Rafiki Saïd was a key success of Marc Wilmots’ first transfer window at Standard Liège. Signed for €2.5 million, his sale now generates €10 million for the Rouches. The club will, however, have to pay 10% of the capital gain to his former club ESTAC Troyes, approximately €750,000, while also securing a one-million-euro bonus if Wolves are promoted to the Premier League this season. A sell-on percentage has also been negotiated.

Wolverhampton Wanderers moved quickly to complete the deal, prioritising Rafiki Saïd’s integration ahead of pre-season. Nathan Shi, the club president, highlighted the urgency in the official statement: “We are very happy to have finalised Rafiki’s signature in the first week of pre-season. It was important for us that he could join the group immediately for the training camp in Portugal to give him the maximum time to acclimatise, understand the technical staff’s demands and integrate with his new teammates.”

Matt Jackson, the technical director, had been tracking Rafiki Saïd for several years and pushed for his acquisition under new head coach Cesar Peixoto. The coach endorsed the move swiftly: “Rafiki is a strong, fast and athletic player. He has the abilities, qualities and mentality to adapt and help the team progress, to win matches. He wanted to come as soon as possible. He is a very humble, hard-working player. He has the mentality we are looking for in the team, and it was important that he joined us.”

Standard Liège will benefit financially from the sale, while Wolverhampton aim to regain their Premier League status with a player viewed as both technically and mentally suited to the Championship’s demands.

The deal underscores the growing financial reliance on player trading for clubs like Standard Liège, while Wolves seek to rebuild competitively after relegation.