Mamadou Sangaré is on the verge of leaving RC Lens after the club reached a principle agreement with Brentford for a transfer estimated at 48 million euros plus bonuses and a sell-on percentage.
If the move is completed, Sangaré would become the biggest sale in RC Lens history, surpassing the 40 million euros the club received for Loïs Openda when he joined RB Leipzig in 2023.
What the agreement means
The deal reflects how quickly Sangaré’s stock has risen. The 24-year-old made a strong impact last season after arriving from Rapid Vienne, and he was described as one of the best players in Ligue 1 over that stretch. That kind of form has now translated into a major move for both the player and the club.
For RC Lens, the transfer would be another sign of the value created by a strong season. The club finished as a surprising runner-up to Paris Saint-Germain last season, and Sangaré’s rise has been one of the key individual success stories from that campaign.
Brentford’s next move
Brentford, which finished ninth in the Premier League last season, has already shown a willingness to invest in the market. The club set a transfer record a year earlier with Dango Ouattara, and this agreement for Sangaré would continue that pattern.
There is still one possible complication. Sangaré was spared from playing against Crystal Palace and Famalicao during the Como Cup on Tuesday, and in the next few hours he could join Brentford if Crystal Palace does not outbid them. For now, the structure of the move points toward England, but the final step still depends on whether another club enters the race.
If nothing changes, Sangaré will head to Brentford with a big price tag and even bigger expectations. For Lens, it would be a record sale. For Brentford, it would be another aggressive move for a player whose rise last season made him one of the more notable midfield names in Ligue 1.
