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Brentford have completed the signing of midfielder Mamadou Sangaré from Ligue 1 side RC Lens for a club-record transfer fee, believed to be in the region of £39 million. The 24-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the option of a further year, potentially keeping him in West London until the summer of 2032. Sangaré, a Mali international, joins Keith Andrews' side off the back of a highly successful season in France. Led by the now Crystal Palace head coach Pierre Sage, Lens finished last season in second place in Ligue 1 and won the Coupe de France, with Sangaré playing a starring role, earning a spot in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season, and winning the 2026 Marc-Vivien Foe Award for Ligue 1's best African player, which has previously been won by players such as Achraf Hakimi, Didier Drogba, and Victor Osimhen. What can Sangaré bring to Brentford? Sangaré joins the Premier League with a quickly growing reputation as one of the very best in his position. In Ligue 1 last season, Sangaré had the most ball recoveries (207) of any player in the league, whilst also having the second most tackles (86), second most duels won (190) and third most interceptions (40). The defensive work of Sangaré in the middle of the park proved crucial to Lens' success, helping to shield a back line which conceded just 35 league goals, a defensive record only bettered by title winners Paris Saint Germain. It is not just defensive quality Brentford fans can look forward to from their new signing though, with Sangaré expected to add an improvement in quality on the ball to the Bees' midfield. Across the 2025/26 Premier League season, no Brentford player completed more passes per 90 than Sangaré. It was club captain Nathan Collins who topped Brentford's charts for passes completed per 90, with an average of 44.1 at a completion rate of 83.1%. Sangaré however registered an average of 48.4 passes completed per 90, at an improved success rate of 86.2%. In addition, the attacking threat of Brentford's new record signing is not one to be scoffed at, registering three goals and four assists in 33 appearances at club level last season. How will Sangaré fit into Brentford's midfield? Brentford's midfield one could argue has been crying out for a player like Mamadou Sangaré. The Malian is comfortable operating as either a traditional number six or number eight, a profile of player tailor-made for Brentford's midfield. Under Keith Andrews, Brentford have predominantly set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with a double pivot in midfield set up behind an attacking midfielder of either Mikkel Damsgaard or Mathias Jensen. Whilst the 3-4-2-1 formation of Lens under Pierre Sage last season differs tactically, it features a similar double pivot set up in midfield, with Sangaré forming a formidable partnership with Adrien Thomasson, who joined Stade Rennais earlier this summer. Brentford's double pivot had less consistency to it than Lens', with Keith Andrews' having to rotate his double pivot numerous times throughout last season. England international Jordan Henderson, who is now set to join Chelsea, started the season positively, initially building a promising partnership with Yehor Yarmoliuk. However, a combination of loss of form and injury issues saw the 36-year-old's minutes reduced in the second half of the season. Vitaly Janelt strongly impressed over the winter period as the Bees began to push for a European spot, but a heel injury suffered in February kept the German out for three months. In the absence of Janelt, Brentford struggled to find balance in midfield. Injuries forced Mathias Jensen, who had spent most of the season prior to Janelt's injury playing as a number 10, into a deeper role, whilst natural full back Aaron Hickey was even tried in midfield on occasions during the run-in. The lack of balance and defensive solidity in Brentford's midfield post-February proved costly in a loss of momentum which saw Brentford win just one of their last 10 games, and consequently miss out on European qualification on goal difference. The acquisition of a high-quality midfielder like Sangaré to play alongside a choice of Janelt or Yarmoliuk can be expected to bring greater defensive stability and control to Brentford's midfield, improving both the team's ball winning ability and their ball retention, as they aim to build on an impressive last season and qualify for European football.