AJ Auxerre have confirmed the signing of Sékou Mara (23) from RC Strasbourg Alsace on a season-long loan.
Mara’s game time opportunities this season would likely have been limited had he remained with Les Alsaciens. Emanuel Emegha, who now wears the captain’s armband, is now undroppable, whilst Joaquín Panichelli has enjoyed a bright start to life at Strasbourg.
Auxerre had shown an interest in the former Southampton forward before the closure of the transfer window on Monday, whilst the Frenchman has also been linked with moves to Belgium and Switzerland, where the windows remain open.
However, with Theo Bair and Ado Onaiwu leaving, Auxerre were desperate to add an attacker to their ranks and have now done so. Mara has joined on a straight loan deal, without a buy option, from Strasbourg. His signing is permitted due to the ‘joker’ rule in France, which allows clubs to make one signing from a fellow French side outside of the transfer window.
