Signed by Brentford for a record £39 million, Malian midfielder Mamadou Sangaré has already established himself in the Premier League. Those who spotted him and launched his career paint the portrait of a player apart.
Malian midfielder Mamadou Sangaré, 24, joined Brentford from Lens at the start of August 2026 for a record £39 million, The Guardian reports in a profile published on 7 November 2026. He has played in every Brentford match this season.
On his Brentford debut, against Tottenham, he dominated the midfield and delivered the assist for Keane Lewis-Potter’s opening goal. A performance that confirmed the hopes placed in him by those who had spotted him well before his arrival in England.
Spotted in Vienna as early as 2025
Youness Bengelloun, a former Manchester City scout, first spotted him at Rapid Vienna’s training centre in July 2025. “When I saw him for the first time, I said to myself: ‘But who is this player?’”
The scout was struck by the player’s profile: “He was impressive and what struck me was his technique and his work ethic.” A few weeks later, Sangaré joined Lens for around €5 million.
Trained in Bamako, launched by Saintfiet
Mamadou Sangaré was trained at the Association Sportive Aboubacar Coulibaly (ASAC), a small club in the Faladié district of Bamako. His international career began later: former head coach Tom Saintfiet gave him his Mali debut in September 2024, against Mozambique.
Saintfiet is full of praise for his former player: “He is every coach’s dream player.”
Brighton up next, Yarmoliuk tipped to start
The next chapter comes on Sunday 8 November 2026, with a trip to Brighton on Premier League matchday 11, kick-off at 14:00.
According to Sports Mole, however, Yehor Yarmoliuk is expected to replace Mamadou Sangaré in the starting line-up after returning from suspension. This is only a predicted line-up.