Anderlecht get Pieroni refreshment

RSC Anderlecht have been boosted by the loan signing of Belgian international striker Luigi Pieroni from RC Lens.

Permanent option
The 27-year-old, who has scored twice in 24 appearances for Belgium, has agreed a five-month loan deal with the Brussels club with an option for a permanent three-year transfer if the move proves a success. A product of R. Standard de Liège's youth scheme, Pieroni made his name scoring 28 goals in 30 Eerste Klasse games for R. Excelsior Mouscron in 2003/04 before joining French side AJ Auxerre the following summer.

Fourth signing
The player left for FC Nantes Atlantique in January 2007 but after their relegation from Ligue 1 moved to Lens last summer where he has failed to settle, making just six league starts and scoring twice. He becomes Anderlecht's fourth winter signing, following Guillaume Gillet, Thomas Chatelle and Stanislav Vlček. The club, who are sixth in the Belgian top flight, meet FC Girondins de Bordeaux in the UEFA Cup Round of 32 with the first leg at home on 13 February.