Baldé to learn at Legia

Polish champions Legia Warszawa have signed Senegalese centre-back Mamadou Baldé on a one-year loan from FC Girondins de Bordeaux.

European ambition
The 20-year-old could yet be playing in the UEFA Champions League group stage despite leaving automatic qualifiers Bordeaux. If Legia can finish the job at home to Icelandic side FH Hafnarfjördur tonight, after a 1-0 away win last week, they will move on to meet FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the third qualifying round. In the Polish capital, Baldé will compete for a place with central defenders Dickson Choto and Hugo Alcântara, who hail from Zimbabwe and Brazil respectively.

Progress
Baldé signed his first professional contract at Bordeaux this summer, a three-year deal, having made impressive progress through the club's academy. He then spent a month on trial with Legia. Bordeaux will enter the group stage on 12/13 September after finishing runners-up in France last term. They have a strong reputation for producing young talent, with Julien Faubert and Rio Antonio Mavuba, two of the France team that impressed at the summer's UEFA European Under-21 Championship, part of their squad.