Former Chelsea attacking midfielder Gael Kakuta has rejoined his former club Lens on loan from Amiens.
The 29-year-old DR Congo international was on the books of Les Sang et Or between 1999 and 2007 as a youth player before moving to Chelsea, where his senior career kicked off.
He was not a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge, making just 16 appearances in six years, and spent time on loan at seven different clubs before joining Sevilla in 2015.
Kakuta was enmeshed in a transfer storm when he joined Chelsea in 2007 as Lens took the matter to fifa, and was consequently fined and banned for for four months for a breach of contract.
Chelsea were equally fined and banned from signing players in the next two transfer windows, but appealed against the sanctions, and got the Court of Arbitration for Sport to lift the sanctions on club and Kakuta.
“After I left, I continued to follow Lens. I have always kept in touch with my friends I have known here, players and employees.” Kakuta said on the Lens website.
“This is where it all started. I always wanted to play with the Lens first team. It was my childhood dream.
“This club has always been in my heart and Bollaert-Delelis is a stadium that makes you dream! I did not hesitate as soon as I got the Lens proposal. No matter which club approached me, it was Lens and nothing else.”
Lens are returning to Ligue 1 for the first time since 2015 after they finished second in the second division in the abruptly-ended season and coach Franck Haise is thrilled to have Kakuta, who he says will be an “important element”, at the squad.
Photo Credit: fifa.com