Asvel have signed French international center Mathis Dossou-Yovo, adding one of the LNB Pro A’s most productive big men to their roster for the 2026-27 season.
The 25-year-old arrives after an impressive campaign with Nanterre, where he averaged 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in LNB Pro A. His performances earned him a place in the league’s best five for the regular season.
Bienvenue Mathis Dossou-Yovo ! 🇫🇷
— LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) August 24, 2026
LDLC ASVEL est heureux d'annoncer la signature du pivot international français Mathis Dossou-Yovo au sein de son effectif.
L'un des tous meilleurs joueurs du championnat de France vient renforcer le secteur intérieur de LDLC ASVEL avec son… pic.twitter.com/QMVmrLTOZa
Mathis Dossou-Yovo’s journey to Asvel
Mathis Dossou-Yovo began his career at Centre Federal before playing for Chalon-sur-Saone, Evreux and Blois. He established himself as one of the best interior players in LNB Pro B with Saint-Quentin during the 2022-23 season before making the step up to the top division.
His development then took him outside France, with the center joining Oldenburg in Germany before returning to France with Paris. He helped Paris win the 2025 LNB Pro A championship and also made his EuroLeague debut during his time with the club.
Dossou-Yovo started the 2025-26 season with Nanterre and took another step forward, becoming a focal point of the team’s offense and finishing the campaign with 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. His efficiency and production earned him a place in the LNB Pro A regular-season best five.
Asvel’s new strategy after a turbulent offseason
Dossou-Yovo’s arrival is another example of Asvel’s dramatically different approach to roster building after the club’s original plans for the 2026-27 season fell apart.
Asvel initially made several ambitious moves, signing Sylvain Francisco, Armoni Brooks and Nick Weiler-Babb as part of a roster that was expected to significantly raise the team’s ambitions. However, the club ultimately failed to secure the financial resources behind its initial plans, with the projected budget falling substantially below expectations.
That forced Asvel to unwind much of its original roster construction. Francisco joined Panathinaikos, while Brooks moved to Valencia and Weiler-Babb joined Crvena Zvezda on loan. Daniel Theis, another major piece of the original project, also left for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Instead of continuing to chase established stars, Asvel subsequently shifted toward a broader and more sustainable recruitment strategy. The club has brought in Patty Mills, Joel Bolomboy, Nate Sestina, Marc-Owen Fodzo Dada, Myles Cale, Both Gach, Yves Pons, Jae Crowder, Hugo Besson and Tremont Waters, with Dossou-Yovo now becoming the latest addition.
Asvel have been among the busiest teams in EuroLeague transactions this offseason, making a long list of additions after their original plans for the roster fell apart.
