St-Etienne make double swoop

The overhaul at AS Saint-Etienne continues apace after they brought in Sporting Clube de Portugal's Roudolphe Douala and Nivaldo from CF Os Belenenses.

Portugal spell
For Douala, 28, it marks a return for the club he started his career with though he never made an appearance in France before moving to Portugal in 1998. He had spells at Boavista FC, CD Das Aves, Gil Vicente FC and UD Leiria before joining Sporting in summer 2004, helping them to the UEFA Cup final in his first season at the club. The Cameroon international striker was unable to cement a place in the starting lineup, however, and spent last term on loan at Portsmouth FC where he made seven appearances.

New-look side
Douala will have a medical today before finalising the deal, as the 27-year-old Nivaldo joins from Belenenses for an undisclosed fee. The Brazilian has agreed a three-year deal with St-Etienne and is expected to play alongside another newcomer, Efstathios Tavlaridis, in the heart of the defence. The pair are among several new players to arrive at the club, with Blaise Matuidi, Cédric Varrault, David Gigliotti and Dimitri Payet also joining, while centre-back Vincent Hognon has been released. The 32-year-old will join OGC Nice, while Yohan Hautcoeur has been loaned out to FC Lorient.