Jordan Pierre Ayew (born 11 September 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for EFL League One club Leicester City. Born in France, he plays for the Ghana national team.
๐ต Early Career and Marseille
Ayew joined Marseille as a trainee in 2006. He signed a three-year professional contract with Marseille in 2009. Jordan Ayew made his debut for the senior team on 16 December 2009 in a league match, scoring the equaliser against Lorient.
On 6 January 2014, he joined Ligue 1 rivals Sochaux on a loan deal until the end of the 2013โ14 season. On 28 July 2014, Ayew signed a four-year contract with Lorient.
๐ฃ Aston Villa and Swansea City
On 27 July 2015, Ayew joined Aston Villa on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee, reported to be in the region of ยฃ8 million. Aston Villa were relegated at the end of the 2015โ16 season, but Ayew ended the season as their top scorer with seven goals.
On 31 January 2017, Jordan Ayew joined Premier League Swansea City until the end of the 2019โ20 season. At the end of his second season, his only full season with the club, he finished as the club’s top goal scorer and was voted the Players’ Player of the season. Despite his performance, Swansea was relegated to the championship.
๐ฆ Crystal Palace
On transfer deadline day in August 2018, Ayew joined Crystal Palace on loan for the 2018โ19 season. On 25 July 2019, Ayew made the move permanent with a ยฃ2.5m transfer from Swansea City on a three-year deal.
At the end of the 2019โ20 season, Ayew was the highest goalscorer for Crystal Palace with 9 goals, and won the Crystal Palace Player of the season, Players’ Player of the season and Goal of the season awards. On 27 February 2024, he made his 200th Crystal Palace appearance in all competitions.
๐ฆ Leicester City
On 23 August 2024, Leicester City signed Ayew on a two-year contract worth ยฃ5 million. Leicester City endured successive relegation campaigns that saw them drop from the Premier League to the EFL Championship and then further into EFL League One. On 24 May 2026, the club announced it was releasing the player following relegation.
๐ฌ๐ญ International Career
Born in France, Ayew made his senior debut for Ghana in 2010 and has since earned over 110 caps for his country, serving as captain since 2025. He has played for the national team at three FIFA World Cups (2014, 2022 and 2026), as well as six Africa Cup of Nations (2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023), helping them finish runners-up in 2015.
On 17 June 2026, he made his record 121st appearance for Ghana in the team’s World Cup opening match against Panama, also becoming the fourth player to represent Ghana at three different World Cups. At 34 years and 185 days, he surpassed Denis Odoi as the oldest player to feature for Ghana at a World Cup.
๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ Personal Life
Ayew is the son of Maha Ayew and Abedi Pele. His father, uncles Kwame and Sola, and brothers Andrรฉ and Ibrahim are all current or former professional footballers. Ayew is a practising Muslim.
| Club | Transfer Year | Fee | Key Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marseille | 2009 | Professional contract | Scored on senior debut |
| Aston Villa | 2015 | ยฃ8 million | Top scorer in relegation season |
| Swansea City | 2017 | ยฃ5 million (add-ons) | Players’ Player of the season |
| Crystal Palace | 2019 | ยฃ2.5 million | 200 appearances, Player of the season |