Brentford have confirmed the club-record signing of Lens midfielder Mamadou Sangare in a deal worth around €45million (£38.5m), surpassing the fee paid for Dango Ouattara last summer.
Sangare has signed a five-year contract running until 2031 and becomes the replacement for Jordan Henderson, who left the club as a free agent last month with an eye to joining Chelsea.
Why Brentford moved for Sangare
Head coach Keith Andrews praised Sangare's work ethic and humility after the transfer was confirmed. Crystal Palace had also considered a move for the Mali international, hoping to reunite him with Pierre Sage - under whose management Sangare won the Coupe de France and finished second in Ligue 1 last season - but Brentford moved quickly to secure his signature.
"I am eager to begin a new chapter in London," Sangare said in his unveiling video.
Explaining the decision, Andrews said: "Mamadou is someone that we've tracked for quite some time. He's been on our radar and was a player we were really keen to bring in.
"Last season was a huge season for him following a couple of loan spells during which he developed. At Lens, he performed at such a consistently high level for a team that finished second in the league. Added to that was his form for Mali, where he became a really key player for them."
What Sangare brings to Brentford
Sangare, 24, already has 16 senior international caps for Mali and featured at AFCON last summer. He joins a well-established Brentford midfield featuring Mathias Jensen, Mikkel Damsgaard and Yehor Yarmoliuk.
Andrews continued: "He's a player that adds to a really good midfield that we already have; he also adds qualities that we don't have. He complements the current midfield."
"From the conversations I've had with him, he's very keen to come here. He's a humble young man, but he's equally as determined to succeed in his career. He fits everything we want from a Brentford player, on and off the pitch. He'll be a player that I think will become very, very popular with the fans."
Debut in sight
Sangare could make his debut next week, when Brentford face Rennes in a pre-season friendly at Roazhon Park.
