This week in African transfers: Msakni smashed the Tunisian transfer records while Salomon Kalou crossed the channel to France. Seydou Keita and other Africans continued to dominate news headlines from Portugal to England and elsewhere in the east, but some of them might surprise.
Middle East
In Tunisia, they call him the “Little Messi” and is widely regarded as the future poster boy of his country’s football. So when Youssef Msakni announced a four and-a-half year transfer deal worth approximately ?11.5 million with Qatari side Lekhwiya, the outrage was understandable. Why Qatar, when he was being chased by European sides such as Lille, PSG, Saint-Etienne, FC Sion, Granada, Espanyol, and most recently, Montpellier?
Instead, this top rated youngster opted for Lekhwiya, but he can only play for them in January, once Esperance?s run in the 2012 Caf Champions League is complete. His mother club, Stade Tunisien, earning 20 percent of the sum, which is a record transfer in the history of Tunisian football.
Over in Saudi Arabia, Sunderland and Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan completed a permanent move to United Arab Emirates side Al-Ain. It is understood Al-Ain paid Sunderland around ?6m for Gyan’s temporary stay and will hand over a similar fee to secure his services on a long-term basis.
Turkish side Bursaspor also confirmed they had reached an agreement with Saudi side Al Shabab over the transfer of Ghana striker Prince Tagoe , who will be paid ?1.2 million for the deal.
Portugal
Nigerian midfielder John Ogu joined Academica in the Portuguese Super League on a three-year deal. The player had terminated his contract with relegated Uniao Liera at the end of last season. Academica are in pre-season and Ogu joins after scoring three goals in 12 games for Uniao Liera.
Attacking midfielder Zakaria Labyad , from Morocco, has signed a 5-year contract with Sporting Lisbon. But PSV’s sporting director was not happy about the deal as he claims his team are currently in a contractual dispute with the midfielder, who believes that he is a free agent.
France
Salomon Kalou has joined Lille in France. The Ivory Coast striker made 254 appearances for the blues, of which 147 were starts and he scored 60 goals. He did all this in 6 years and started more games from the bench (107) than anybody in Chelsea’s history. On a free transfer following his release by Chelsea, Kalou agreed a four-year deal at the Ligue 1.
Meanwhile Lyon have confirmed that their Ghanaian defender John Mensah has left, ending a four-year stay for a contract that was supposed to end in June 2013. Kamel Ghilas has also signed a 2-year contract for Reims in France, where the Algerian has been on loan since last season.
Italy
Ghana and Fiorentina midfielder Daniel Kofi Agyei transferred to Serie B side Juve Stabia on a loan. Now 20 years, the youngster is a product of the Atlas Scout Company that takes budding talents around Europe. He used to be regularly on the bench for Fiorentina in seasons past.
Spain
“Seydou Keita has announced tonight he will not continue with the club next season,” Barca said on their website. Keita, 32, joined from Sevilla at the same time as Pep Guardiola took over as coach and he is headed to China. The player put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Super League outfit Dalian Aerbin and reports say he will earn ?14 million for the duration of his stay there.
Denmark
Adama Tamboura, Mali’s international defender, has signed for Randers FC on a three year contract from French club FC Metz. The 27 year-old has been watched by tthe Danish club for some time, including during his 4 year spell with Swedish club Helsingborg between 2006-10. He has amassed 56 caps for Mali, including as a member of their bronze-winning team in the 2012 African Nations Cup.
Greece
In a relieving move for the player, Bongani Khumalo has completed a season-long loan move to Greek side PAOK from English Premiership’s Tottenham Hotspur. The South African centre-back has been injury-hit for the better part of last year which confined him to just five games for Reading in the English Championship.
England
Gael Bigirimana is Newcastle’s second signing of the summer, as the Magpies reached an agreement with Coventry over the Burundi-born player. The 18 year old moved to the UK as a refugee in 2004.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has completed his first transfer by signing Feyenoord midfielder Karim El Ahmadi , with the 27-year-old Netherlands-born Morocco international agreeing to a three-year deal.
Elsewhere
Niger striker Moussa Maazou has joined Etoile Sahel on a three-year deal, the Tunisian club announced on Friday. The 23-year-old leaves Russia’s CSKA Moscow, whom he joined in 2009 before spending loan stints at several clubs, including French duo Monaco and Bordeaux and Belgium’s Lokeren.
Speaking of Belgium, Ivorian striker Gohi Bi Zoro Cyriac has signed a four year contract with RSC Anderlecht, while striker Ebrahima Ibou Sawaneh (Gambia) has left Mons, in the Belgian top flight, to sign a 3-year contract with OH Louvain in the First Division. Striker Ibrahima Yattara , from Guinea, has also signed a one year contract with Turkish side Mersin Idmanyurdu.
