Lille agree deal for Brazilian midfielder Mendes

Rio de Janeiro July 1 (IANS) France s Lille have agreed to a nine million euro ($10.2 million) deal for Sao Paulo midfielder Thiago Mendes the Brazilian club confirmed.

The announcement on Friday follows weeks of negotiations after new Lille coach Marcelo Bielsa identified the 25-year-old as a priority transfer target reports Xinhua news agency.

The contract hasn t been signed but we have reached an agreement by email and telephone Sao Paulo football director Vinicius Pinotti was quoted as saying by the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper.

We received a proposal three weeks ago. It wasn t our intention to sell him but Thiago s wish was to leave and we don t want to hold on to players who don t want to be here he added.

Mendes made 145 first-team appearances for Sao Paulo after his 2015 move from Goias.

It was my choice. The club tried to keep me and I had the support of everybody there but I want to play in Europe. I appreciate everything that Sao Paulo did for me over the past three years the Brazilian said.

--IANS
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