Dynamo delight at Bangoura coup

FC Dynamo Kyiv have made their first close-season acquisition, signing Guinea striker Ismaël Bangoura on a five-year contract from French side Le Mans UC 72.

Fierce competition
The Ukrainian champions claim to have fought off competition from clubs in France and Spain for the signature of the 22-year-old who has four caps to his name. Dynamo's press department stated: "We are delighted that we managed to literally grasp the player away from our competitors' reach. He is a fast-progressing talent and a leader of Guinea's national team. We hope he will strengthen our attack."

Fruitful sojourn
Bangoura spent four seasons in France, scoring 15 times in 44 league matches for AC Ajaccio before his two campaigns with Le Mans yielded 18 goals from 56 appearances. His 12 strikes in the 2006/07 Ligue 1 season made him the division's third-most prolific marksman. Dynamo begin their UEFA Champions League quest in the third qualifying round in August, having won the Ukrainian title without losing a game.