Brentford confirmed the signing of Mali midfielder Mamadou Sangare from Lens for a club record fee.

Mamadou Sangare helped Lens finish second in Ligue 1 last season and win the Coupe de France for the first time in the club's history Brentford have confirmed the signing of Mali midfielder Mamadou Sangare from Lens for a club record fee. The 24-year-old joins on a five-year contract, with an option for a further year. No fee was reported by the club, but they say it surpasses the £42.5m paid to sign Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth last summer. "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," Brentford head coach Keith Andrews said. "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." The central midfielder made 33 appearances for Lens last season after joining from Rapid Vienna.