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It’s OK for a new defensive recruit in Montpellier from Saint-Etienne

The side defender, Malian international Falaye Sacko, noticed for six months in Saint-Etienne, will be loaned by Guimaraes.

Montpellier does part of its market with the “Greens”. After having concluded the recruitment of Arnaud Nordin and Wahbi Khazri, he completes that of the right side defender Falaye Sacko, author of a second half of the season noticed in Saint-Etienne. The Hérault club reached an agreement with Guimaraes on Thursday for a loan with an option to buy.

Who is this Sacko? This defender (1.79 m), aged 27, won for more than three seasons at Vitoria Guimaraes, engaged in the Europa League, before being loaned during the winter transfer window to Saint-Etienne.

100 appearances in the Portuguese Liga

The Malian international (24 caps), born and trained in Bamako, passed through Hungary, then Belgium before settling in northern Portugal in January 2016. This right-back has played close to 100 matches in the Portuguese Liga (1 goal) and quickly adapted to the context of Saint-Etienne, weighed down by the collapse in Ligue 2. A very fast player, endowed with a good reading of the game, complete and solid in one against one, the Malian is also capable of evolve in the axis of the defense, a position he has often occupied at ASSE as with the Malian selection.

“He’s a good player and a good guy. He’s a serious, disciplined and hard-working player,” whispers Geoffroy-Guichard. His sprained knee, and his absence for seven games, coincided with the air pocket of the green defense. “Without his injury, what would have happened to the Saint-Etienne team?” we wonder on the side of Forez.

Priority option

The Malian international, who played the CAN in Cameroon, was the priority option. Other names such as the Ivorian international: Serge Aurier (29), who notably played for Paris SG, Tottenham and Villareal, and Hiroki Sakai (32), the former Japanese defender of OM, had been mentioned by the team.

Falaye Sacko compensates for the departure of Junior Sambia, who went free after a contrasting Montpellier adventure. He will compete with Arnaud Souquet, holder last season, and the young Enzo Tchato, who signed his first professional contract.

The Malian is Montpellier’s 5th recruit this summer after Théo Sainte-Luce, Faitout Maouassa, and two other ex-Stéphanois: Arnaud Nordin and Wahbi Khazri. After padlocking its defense, renewing its side, Montpellier has not yet completed its recruitment. Coach Olivier Dall’Oglio particularly wants to “hire a defensive midfielder”. Will he come from Saint-Etienne?

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