Toulouse sign Boulogne keeper

(GSM) – Ligue 1 side Toulouse have landed Boulogne’s Mathieu Valverde as a cover for their recent injury crisis to the goal-keepers.

The Ligue 1 strugglers have acted quickly after learning that back-up keeper Olivier Blondel broke his ankle in training.

With Blondel unlikely to return to action before March, Toulouse have brought in Valverde, who failed to settle after joining from Bordeaux last summer.

The 26-year-old has immediately expressed his delight at returning to the south west of France after an unhappy tenure with Boulogne.

“I am happy to be back in the south west of France after a few difficult months with Boulogne,” he told the club’s official website.

“It was the very first time I’d left Bordeaux, my friends and family.”

Toulouse coach Alain Casanova could barely believe his eyes at losing Blondel to injury with first-choice Yohann Pele already on the sidelines.

“It’s a harsh blow because it’s a position where we’re not very rich,” he said.

“I would have preferred to do without it, first for Olivier, who is horrifically injured and then for us, because it’s one more problem that needs to be faced.”