Transfer Wrap: Ligue 1

Marseille were busy on transfer deadline day, signing Florian Thauvin and Mario Lemina to bolster their Ligue 1 title push.

Marseille – who finished second to Paris Saint-Germain last term – finally got their man in Thauvin, who had been linked with a switch from Lille for some time.

Thauvin signed for Lille from Bastia in January, but was sent back to the club on loan immediately.

He scored 10 goals in 32 Ligue 1 appearances last term but has now made the switch for Marseille for a reported €15million fee.

His acquisition was added to by the arrival of Lemina, who joined from Lorient for an undisclosed fee.

The two players, both 20, were team-mates in France’s recent FIFA Under-20 World Cup-winning squad and have signed five-year deals at the club.

On a busy day, transfer business between Marseille and Lorient continued, as the latter signed 19-year-old midfielder Rafidine Abdullah and loaned Larry Azouni, with the option of signing the latter permanently if he impresses.

Lille sold 21-year-old midfielder Viktor Klonaridis, who joined Panathinaikos, while Toulouse signed left-back Francois Moubandje from Servette.

Bastia beat the deadline to sign Sochaux’s Ryad Boudebouz, with the Algeria international signing a three-year deal with the club.

Saint-Etienne midfielder Josuha Guilavogui moved to Atletico Madrid, signing a three-year deal with the Liga outfit, while they also allowed Danijel Aleksic to leave, with the Serbia international to join Ligue 2 outfit Arles-Avignon on loan for the rest of the season.

Saint-Etienne also brought players in though, adding Mevlut Erdinc and Yohan Mollo from Rennes and Nancy respectively, with the latter arriving on loan.

Other deals saw Monaco defender Gary Kagelmacher sign for Valenciennes on a season-long loan deal.

The Uruguayan centre-back made 35 appearances for Monaco in their promotion-winning campaign in Ligue 2 last term.

Sochaux have failed to win one of their first four Ligue 1 matches this season but boosted their attacking options with the loan signing of Zambian striker Emmanuel Mayuka.

Mayuka has signed a season-long deal from Southampton, and will hope to prove his worth after failing to score for the Premier League outfit in 11 appearances last season.

Sochaux also signed Thomas Guerbert on a four-year deal from Dijon and will be hoping he can cut the mustard in the top-flight.

Montpellier signed Peruvian midfielder Jean Deza from San Martin de Porres on loan, while Argentinian striker Silvio Romero arrived at Rennes.

Romero scored 13 goals in 32 top-flight fixtures for former club Lanus last season.

Other loan deals saw Axel Ngando move from Rennes to Auxerre, Jaroslav Plasil left Bordeaux for Catania and Lyon’s Mohamed Yattara linked up with Angers.