New Saint-Etienne signing Romain Hamouma has expressed his delight at joining the club from Caen this week in a four million euro transfer.
The midfielder exited Stade Michel d’Ornano after Caen suffered relegation from Ligue 1 last season, bringing an end to the two-year stay in Normandy.
Saint-Etienne fended off competition from Ligue 1 giants Lyon and Marseille for the 25-year-old’s signature, and Hamouma revealed that his new club was always his preferred destination.
“I absolutely wanted to come to Saint-Etienne. This club was my first choice.” Hamouma said.
“My meetings with the president (Roland Romeyer) and (coach) Christophe Galtier convinced me. We have a great team here and we have what it takes to fight at the top of the table.
“I feel really good here. The history of the club is very important and Saint-Etienne live and breathe football. The fans are awesome. It was an easy decision.”
Saint-Etienne open their Ligue 1 campaign at home against Lille on August 11.
