Brentford have signed Mali midfielder Mamadou Sangare from Lens for a club-record fee, underlining the Premier League club’s investment in strengthening their midfield. The 24-year-old has agreed a five-year contract with an option for a further year after an impressive season in France and an increasing role for his national side.

Although the fee was not disclosed, Brentford said it exceeded the £42.5m they paid Bournemouth for Dango Ouattara last summer. Sangare made 33 appearances as Lens finished second in Ligue 1 and won the Coupe de France, while he has earned 16 Mali caps and appeared at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.