Leyton Orient have signed forward, Jaze Kabia from Grimsby Town for a club-record undisclosed transfer fee.
Kabia’s move up to League One with Orient comes after a single season in League Two with Grimsby, in which he scored 24 goals and registered one assist in 57 appearances across all competitions.
He also helped the Mariners reach the fourth-tier play-offs and fourth round of both FA Cup and Carabao Cup, of which the latter featured a famous cupset over Manchester United on penalties in the second round in which Kabia scored both of his spot-kicks.
Orient consequently swooped for the 26-year-old for a club-record undisclosed fee after Dom Ballard left the club for Championship’s Bristol City, with Kabia having signed a three-year contract with an option for a further year as Ballard’s replacement.
Kabia will wear the number nine shirt and is delighted to make the switch and build on two breakthrough seasons with Truro City and Grimsby.
“I’m absolutely buzzing. I have had an amazing last two years where I have grown a lot and I’m hoping to bring all of that here to show the best version of me.
“I have a habit for being in the right place at the right time and I feel like finishing is the strongest part of my game. I’m really excited and am itching to get started here.
“It’s a statement having the number nine on your back, it carries weight and I like that kind of pressure. It gives me that extra motivation and I want to continue this club’s streak of having good goalscorers.”
Orient Head Coach, Richie Wellens added that Kabia adds extra firepower up front and especially when under pressure as evidenced by his goalscoring run at the end of last season.
“Jaze will bring us pace, power, desire, commitment work rate and a big goal threat. He scored a hell of a lot of goals for Truro to earn his move into the league and then did the same at Grimsby.
“When the pressure of the end of last season came, Jaze thrived and scored 10 times in his last 12 appearances. He is really hungry and his biggest asset is scoring goals in and around the six-yard box. He is going to be a really good signing for us and I am looking forward to working with him.”
Kabia began his career in Ireland at Cobh Ramblers with 11 goals in 48 appearances before he spent 18 months at Shelbourne from July 2019 – January 2021, where he produced six goals in 16 appearances and won the League of Ireland First Division title in 2019.
He then moved to Scotland’s Livingston but only managed one goal in 12 appearances amidst loans at Falkirk, Greenock Morton and Queen of the South across 2021-22 and 22-23 seasons, before he spent time at Cork City then Clyde with no goals in 25 combined appearances across the two clubs.
The 2024-25 season eventually proved to be a breakthrough campaign as he scored 16 goals in 46 appearances to help Truro gain promotion to the National League as National League South champions, albeit via a slightly superior goal difference over Torquay United.
He consequently bypassed the fifth tier after Grimsby signed him in July 2025 for his debut move into the EFL.