Brentford complete signing of Sangaré for club-record fee

Brentford have completed the club-record signing of midfielder Mamadou Sangaré from Lens.

The Bees will pay around £42m for the 24-year-old Mali international – slightly more than the amount spent on last summer’s signing of Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth.

Sangaré has signed a five-year contract with the option of a further year.

He is a left-footed box-to-box midfielder who can operate defensively or in a central role.

Sangaré played in Austria for Hartburg and Rapid Vienna before joining Lens last August.

He made 29 Ligue 1 appearances and featured as Lens won the Coupe de France.

“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,” Bees head coach Keith Andrews told the club website.

“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.

“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.”