Paris FC signs Malian Lassine Sinayoko

Paris FC, the French football club, announced on Monday that it has signed Malian striker Lassin Sinayoko, pushing the club’s summer transfer spending to more than 65 million euros ($74 million). The club, which is majority-owned by France’s wealthiest family, has become the highest-spending team in Ligue 1 this summer, having secured promotion to the top flight for the second consecutive season with financial backing from the Arnault family, owners of the LVMH group.

Last season, Paris FC defeated their traditional rivals Paris Saint-Germain in both the league and the cup.

Paris FC announced that Sinayoko, 26, signed a three-year contract, without disclosing the fee paid to his former club Auxerre, where he scored 12 goals in the league last season.

Reports indicate the deal was worth 8 million euros ($9.1 million), following more expensive signings including young midfielder Patrick Zaki from French club Stade Reims, Italian defender Diego Coppola from English side Brighton & Hove Albion, and winger Pablo Pagis from French club Lorient.

Paris FC finished 11th in their return to Ligue 1 and are now managed by Liam Rosenior, who briefly managed English club Chelsea last season after beginning his managerial career at French club Strasbourg.

Sinayoko has earned 30 caps for the Mali national team, scoring 10 goals, including three in each of the last two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, both of which saw his country reach the quarter-finals.