Brentford are being linked with signing midfielder Mamadou Sangare from Lens.
The Bees are in need for a new face in midfielder after Jordan Henderson was allowed to leave on a free transfer. Henderson did have a year left on his contract, but a deal was agreed to allow the midfielder to join Chelsea.
Henderson played 32 league games for Brentford last season, starting 22, and was an important part of their midfield before an injury hindered his final run-in.
But Brentford haven’t wasted any time in looking to replace Henderson. They look set to sign highly-rated midfielder Sangare, who had a fantastic season with Lens in Ligue 1.
What will Mamadou Sangare bring to Brentford?
Effective protector
Lens were one of the best defensive teams in Ligue 1 last season, conceding just 35 goals. Only league champions Paris Saint-Germain (29) conceded fewer goals than the runners-up. They faced 378 shots at an average of 11.12 per game, with only 118 (3.47 per game) hitting the target. Both were among the best in the division. And Sangare played his part in ensuring the Lens defenders weren’t too busy.
Sangare made 86 tackles in Ligue 1 last season, the second-most in the division. He was only behind midfield partner Adrien Thomasson (99) who has already made a move to Rennes this summer. Sangare also sat in the top 10 for his 40 interceptions, taking the ball from opponents in more than one way. The 24-year-old was indispensible to Lens’ midfield and one of the best in the league.
When it came to winning possession in the middle third, Sangare had no rivals. He was the only player to win possession more than 100 times in the middle third, with 121 in total. Sangare sat 23 clear of the next player, winning this particular battle with teammate Thomasson. But Sangare didn’t just stay in the middle third. He was also used to push further forward, winning possession 27 times in the attacking third. Only three players managed more in Ligue 1 last season.
It was a similar story at the Africa Cup of Nations last season, with Sangare ranking third for his 3.33 tackles per 90 minutes among players with at least 315 minutes played. He sat top of the pile for his 1.25 possessions won in the attacking third per 90, and fifth for 4.16 possessions won in the middle third per 90.
Composure on the ball
It’s one thing winning the ball back. Modern defensive midfielders also have to be good on the ball, keeping their team in possession and in control. And Sangare did a solid job for Lens last season, without pulling up any trees.
Sangare averaged 75.61 touches per 90 in Ligue 1 last season, which was the second-most of any Lens player among those with at least 1,530 minutes played. It wasn’t overly high among the whole league, but Sangare was playing for a side averaging 50.69% possession. While they weren’t always on the back foot, they were hardly dominating games either. Sangare ranked third among Lens players for his 56.16 passes attempted per 90 and 48.42 passes completed per 90.
The 24-year-old wasn’t just passing sideways too. His attempts were trying to get Lens up the pitch and into dangerous areas, with 16.9 final third passes attempted per 90. He completed 13.27 of those, with both numbers placing him second among the Lens squad. The only player ahead of Sangare in both metrics was Florian Thauvin, Lens’ main attacking outlet. That’s fine company for Sangare to be keeping.
For some added context, Sangare attempted and completed more passes per 90 than any Brentford player in the Premier League last season — with at least 1,710 minutes (50%) played. He would have ranked third for final third passes attempted per 90, only behind Mikkel Damsgaard and Mathias Jensen, and second behind the former for final third passes completed.
How does Sangare compare to Henderson?
When you directly compare Sangare to Henderson, the swap looks to be a must-do for Brentford. Sangare outshines the Englishman in a lot of key metrics for the role he would play in central midfield. The 24-year-old can do it all.
Now, Henderson did average more forward passes per 90 with 20.0 in the Premier League, but he was in a more expansive team. And Sangare’s 13.8 forward passes per 90 was still a decent amount in Ligue 1. Sangare was also a lot more accurate with his passes, completing 86.22% to Henderson’s 77.81%. Even when you consider the type of passes being made, Sangare would bring composure to the Brentford midfield and various passing options.
Sangare was more involved defensive than Henderson, both because of playing style and the team systems. But, again, that cannot be used to count against the Malian midfielder. His 7.4 duels won per 90 is extremely impressive, and other three times more than Henderson’s 2.3. Sangare is also more successful in the duels, winning 56.36% of his aerial battles and 56.74% on the ground. Henderson averaged 51.47% success in his ground duels, while losing more than half of his aerial battles (41.94% success).
The Malian shines in the other defensive metrics too. While Henderson wins the battle for clearances, it’s only a slight advantage at 1.6 to 1.2 per 90. But Sangare averaged 1.6 interceptions per 90 last season, double Henderson’s amount in the Premier League. And the 24-year-old also made an impressive 8.1 ball recoveries, compared to Henderson’s 4.6. This transfer is a no-brainer.