1. Overview
Nanitamo Jonathan Ikoné, born on 2 May 1998, is a French professional footballer who primarily plays as a forward. Known by the nickname JorkoJapanese, he has built a career across top European leagues, notably in Ligue 1 with Lille and Serie A with Fiorentina, from which he is currently on loan to Como. Ikoné is recognized for his technical ability and offensive contributions. His career highlights include winning the Ligue 1 title with Lille and the UEFA European Under-17 Championship with the French youth national team. He has also represented the France senior national team, scoring on his debut.
2. Early Life and Background
Jonathan Ikoné was born on 2 May 1998 in Bondy, France. He is of DR Congolese descent, giving him the eligibility to play for both the French and DR Congolese national teams. Ikoné began his footballing journey at a young age, joining the youth academy of Paris Saint-Germain in 2010, where he developed his skills and progressed through their ranks until 2016. During his youth career at PSG, he also played for the Paris Saint-Germain B team from 2015 to 2016, making 19 appearances and scoring 4 goals. His height is 69 in (175 cm).
3. Club Career
Jonathan Ikoné's professional club career has seen him play for several prominent teams in France and Italy, marking significant milestones and achievements.
3.1. Paris Saint-Germain
Ikoné's professional debut for Paris Saint-Germain came on 28 September 2016 in a UEFA Champions League match against Ludogorets. He entered the game as a substitute for Ángel Di María in the 88th minute, contributing to a 3-1 away victory. Three days later, on 1 October 2016, he made his Ligue 1 debut against Bordeaux, again replacing Di María in the 88th minute in a 2-0 home win. During his time with the PSG senior squad, he made a total of 4 appearances.
3.1.1. Loan to Montpellier
On 18 January 2017, Ikoné was loaned to fellow Ligue 1 club Montpellier for the remainder of the season. He made his debut for Montpellier three days later, on 21 January 2017, against Metz, playing the entire match. Throughout his loan spell, which extended into the 2017-18 season, Ikoné made a total of 37 appearances for Montpellier, scoring 3 goals across all competitions.
3.2. Lille
Ikoné's transfer to Lille was finalized on 1 July 2018, where he signed a five-year contract. His tenure at Lille was highly successful, culminating in the club winning the Ligue 1 title in the 2020-21 season, ending a decade-long wait for the championship. He also contributed to Lille winning the Trophée des Champions in 2021. During his time at Lille, Ikoné played a significant role in the team's offensive strategies, making 150 appearances and scoring 16 goals across all competitions.
3.3. Fiorentina
On 31 December 2021, Ikoné signed with Serie A club Fiorentina, with the transfer becoming effective on 3 January 2022. The deal was reportedly worth 15.00 M EUR. At Fiorentina, Ikoné continued to be an important part of the squad, participating in both domestic and European competitions. He contributed to the team reaching the final of the Coppa Italia in the 2022-23 season, where they finished as runners-up. Fiorentina also reached the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, with Ikoné being part of the squad for both runner-up finishes. As of his loan move, he had made 138 appearances for Fiorentina, scoring 16 goals.
3.3.1. Loan to Como
On 31 January 2025, Jonathan Ikoné moved to Como on a loan deal, which includes an option for Como to make the transfer permanent. As of early 2025, he has made 3 appearances for Como.
4. International Career
Jonathan Ikoné has represented France at various youth levels and has also earned caps for the senior national team.
4.1. France Youth Teams
Ikoné has been a consistent presence in the French youth international setup. He played for the U17, U18, U19, U20, and U21 teams.
His youth career highlights include:
- France U17 (2014-2015): 14 appearances, 6 goals. He was part of the squad that won the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
- France U18 (2015-2016): 6 appearances, 2 goals.
- France U19 (2016-2017): 10 appearances, 3 goals.
- France U20 (2017): 1 appearance, 1 goal.
- France U21 (2017-): 11 appearances, 2 goals.
4.2. France Senior Team
Ikoné received his first call-up to the France senior squad in August 2019, as a replacement for the injured Kylian Mbappé, for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualification matches against Albania and Andorra. He made his senior international debut on 7 September 2019 against Albania, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute for Kingsley Coman. In this debut match, Ikoné scored his first international goal, contributing to France's 4-1 victory. As of October 2019, he has made 4 appearances for the senior national team, scoring 1 goal.
5. Career Statistics
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Jonathan Ikoné's professional football career statistics, detailing his appearances and goals for both clubs and the national team. In the club statistics table, 'National cup' includes appearances in the Coupe de France and Coppa Italia, 'League cup' includes the Coupe de la Ligue, 'Europe' encompasses matches in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League, and 'Other' refers to appearances in the Trophée des Champions and Supercoppa Italiana.
5.1. Club Statistics
The table below details Jonathan Ikoné's club appearances and goals by season and competition.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2016-17 | Ligue 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Montpellier (loan) | 2016-17 | Ligue 1 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2017-18 | Ligue 1 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 23 | 2 | |||
| Total | 32 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 37 | 3 | ||||
| Lille | 2018-19 | Ligue 1 | 38 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 41 | 3 | ||
| 2019-20 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | - | 36 | 4 | ||
| 2020-21 | Ligue 1 | 37 | 4 | 3 | 0 | - | 8 | 3 | - | 48 | 7 | |||
| 2021-22 | Ligue 1 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 2 | ||
| Total | 121 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 150 | 16 | ||
| Fiorentina | 2021-22 | Serie A | 17 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2022-23 | Serie A | 33 | 4 | 5 | 1 | - | 13 | 1 | - | 51 | 6 | |||
| 2023-24 | Serie A | 28 | 3 | 3 | 0 | - | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 5 | ||
| 2024-25 | Serie A | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 8 | 4 | - | 23 | 4 | |||
| Total | 92 | 8 | 13 | 1 | - | 32 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 138 | 16 | |||
| Como (loan) | 2024-25 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 252 | 21 | 23 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 50 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 325 | 35 | ||
5.2. International Statistics
The table below summarizes Jonathan Ikoné's international appearances and goals for the France national team.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2019 | 4 | 1 |
| Total | 4 | 1 | |
Scores and results list France's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 September 2019 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France | Albania | 4-0 | 4-1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
6. Honours
Jonathan Ikoné has achieved several team and individual honours throughout his career.
6.1. Club Honours
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Trophée des Champions: 2016
- Lille
- Ligue 1: 2020-21
- Trophée des Champions: 2021
- Fiorentina
- Coppa Italia runner-up: 2022-23
- UEFA Europa Conference League runner-up: 2022-23, 2023-24
6.2. Individual Honours
- UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2015