Brentford pays club-record fee for Lens midfielder Mamadou Sangaré

LONDON (AP) — Brentford has paid a club-record fee to sign Mamadou Sangare from Lens, the Premier League club said on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Mali midfielder agreed a five-year contract, with an option for a further year.

The precise fee was undisclosed but reports say it surpasses the 42.5 million pounds ($57.3m) that Brentford paid Bournemouth for Dango Ouattara a year ago.

“Mamadou is someone that we’ve tracked for quite some time," Brentford manager Keith Andrews said. "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."

Sangaré had an outstanding debut season for Lens, also helping the club to win the French Cup for the first time.

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