Mamadou Sangaré becomes Brentford regular after club-record £39m move

Mamadou Sangaré has appeared in every Brentford game this season after joining from Lens for a club-record £39m at the beginning of August, according to reporting published by the Guardian on Saturday. The 24-year-old Mali midfielder marked his debut against Tottenham with an assist for Keane Lewis-Potter’s opening goal, beginning his Premier League career after a trophy-winning season in France.

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Sangaré’s single season at Lens brought success both with his club and individually. He helped the French side win the Coupe de France and received the Marc-Vivien Foé award for the best African player in Ligue 1. Lens had signed him from Rapid Vienna for around €5m in August 2025, a year before his move to England.

The Guardian’s account traces his development to Association Sportive Aboubacar Coulibaly, a small club in the Faladié neighbourhood of Bamako, where he began playing at six. His former coach Bakary Coulibaly recalled a technically advanced right-sided midfielder who wanted to take responsibility when his team struggled. Sangaré later moved to Yeelen Olympique before leaving Mali for Europe in September 2020.

His first European club was RB Salzburg, whose scouts had identified him through video footage. Several loan spells followed before he joined Rapid Vienna permanently in July 2024. Former Manchester City scout and agent Youness Bengelloun told the Guardian that Sangaré’s technical ability and work rate stood out when he watched him at Rapid’s training ground in July 2025, shortly before the move to Lens.

International recognition developed alongside that club progression. Tom Saintfiet gave Sangaré his Mali debut against Mozambique in September 2024. Sangaré subsequently played at his first Africa Cup of Nations, helping Mali reach the quarter-finals. Fellow midfielder Lassana Coulibaly singled out his group-stage display against Comoros when discussing his contribution to the national side.

Saintfiet also recalled Sangaré accepting a role on the right against Morocco so Mali could use five midfielders. The former national coach described a player who remained composed under pressure and carefully managed his preparation away from matches. Those accounts add detail to the route Sangaré has taken into Brentford’s side, where his appearances have been uninterrupted so far this season.