Sidi Keita heads to Spain as transfer window closes

By: Xavier | September 1st, 2009

On the final day of a very dissapointing transfer market for the blood and gold, Sidi Keita, Mali international and underacheiving mega talent has finally signed on with Xerez of La Liga. It was rumored for weeks that the young midfielder would be headed to either England or Spain so this move comes as no surprise.

The deal was reached in the form of a one year transfer with an option to buy. Keita, 24 will take his tough defensive mentality to La Liga where he figures to play a prominent role in the future plans of a promoted Xerez side.

Arriving at Strasbourg from a poor slum in Bamako, Mali in 2003 Sidi Yaya Keita had an inauspicious start to is Ligue 1 career when a crunching tackle on Lyon’s star defender Cláudio Caçapa sent the Brazilian to the hospital for months and landed Keita in grave trouble with the LFP.

Eventually the talented midfielder would establish himself as a force in the middle of the Strasbourg defense. It didn’t take long for the big European clubs to come asking and in 2006 Lens President Gervais Martel made the announcement that the coveted Strabourgeois would be headed to the Stade Félix Bollaert for a cool 6 million Euros.

Keita’s Lens career was marked by incredible flashes of brilliance as well as unfulfilled promise. The dreaded 20007-08 campaign which saw Lens shockingly relegated was especially tough for the Malian as then coach Jean Pierre-Papin relegated Keita to the bench in favor of Serbian Nenad Kovacevic.

In other news, Lens was barred from signing Camel Meriem and Habib Bellaid by the French DNCG which overseas the league’s finances. It was ruled that the Artisan side lacked the financial liquidity to incur the salaries of both players.

Bellaid publicly voiced his displeasure about not being able to sign on with Lens. “I was in advanced talks with Lens. It was a major priority for me to join the club during the course of the current transfer market but due to grave financial problems they could not sign me or Camel Meriem.”