(Reuters) - Brighton & Hove Albion finally managed to sign French striker Neal Maupay from Championship club Brentford on a four-year contract, the Premier League club said on Monday.
No financial details of the deal were disclosed but British media reported that the 22-year-old has joined the south-coast outfit for 20 million pounds ($24.29 million).
Brighton had wanted to sign Maupay two years ago but he chose to join Brentford from St Etienne, having started his career at Nice where he made his debut aged 16.
The former France under-21 international was joint-second top scorer in the Championship last season with 25 goals.
“Neal is a talented striker, with good strength and pace, and he is a goalscorer," Brighton manager Graham Potter said on the club's website https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/news/2019/august/albion-sign-french-striker.
"He will add an extra dimension to our existing forward options, and we are delighted to have completed the transfer.
"His record in the Championship has been exceptional, with 41 goals across the last two seasons, and now his challenge is to transfer that to the Premier League."
Brighton narrowly escaped relegation last season when they finished just two points above the relegation zone in 17th.
They open the new campaign at Watford on Saturday.
($1 = 0.8235 pounds)
(Writing by Ken Ferris; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)