AGOUMÉ: "I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO PLAY FOR THIS CLUB"

In fluent Spanish, Lucien Agoumé spoke to club media for the first time upon completing his move: "I am very happy to be here, I am looking forward to training and playing with my teammates. It's a very happy day for me and my family. I was very calm, because the negotiations with Sevilla have been very good. We had been talking for several weeks and the negotiation was easy, because I know the club. I love football and I understand what Sevilla represents. A great club, a beautiful city. Making the decision was very easy for me." Moreover, communication will not be a problem: "I learned Spanish at school, from a very young age. I was already studying it at the Sochaux academy. Now it is more difficult, because in the last five years I have been speaking Italian and I'm a bit rusty, but in two or three weeks my Spanish will be perfect."

He will have several of his countrymen alongside him: "Tanguy [Nianzou] is a good friend. We've been playing together in the youth teams since we were 14. When the possibility of coming here came up, I called him and we talked about the city and the club. He has told me a lot of positive things and now I am here, so it has worked out well. It's a positive to have some French players and young players that I already know here with me. It will help my integration into the group." There are also other members of the squad who were previously opponents in Ligue 1: "Sergio Ramos is a football legend. For me, sharing a dressing room with him will be a great pleasure."

Looking back over his career, he points out that his debut in the elite game came at a very young age: "Football has always been a part of my life. When I was little I liked to play with my friends by our house. It's what I love to do most and, thank God, it's now my profession. I am very happy and this is just the beginning because I am very young. I have a lot of things to learn and to prove. That's what I'm here for. For me, playing for Sochaux at 16 years old was an honour. I lived 40 minutes away, I'm from nearby and the people know me there. It was very important and it came early on for me, but it's the result of all the work I've put in since I was a child." At just 17 years of age, our new signing was snapped up by Inter Milan: "Going to Inter was a very good decision at the time. We talked to the directors, the club wanted me and I wanted to go. It was a very big decision for a 17-year-old. I arrived there with my family and I will always be grateful to the club. Even though I didn't play much, those five years will always remain in my heart. It wasn't easy to go into a dressing room of world-class players at just 17, but it was a necessary step for my growth and development and what I needed to do to reach this level."

"We all know that we aren't where we should be in the table and we need to turn the situation around"

At times, he has been compared to Paul Pogba, but this has not phased him. "It doesn't put pressure on me because we are different people. I am me and Pogba is Pogba. When I was 14 or 15 years old people would make that comparison, but that never bothered me. I am Lucien Agoumé and I want to become my own player, not anyone else." When asked about what has been missing for him over the past few years, he replied maturely that "sometimes I'm told that I don't get into the right place at the right time. I've always given 100% on the pitch and I arrive here full of optimism, ready to give it my best shot. I am ready to fight. If the coach wanted me to play tomorrow I would be ready to do so and give everything that I have."

He also indicated that he is very familiar with LaLiga football: "As well as being a player, I'm a big football fan, especially Spanish football. I enjoy watching LaLiga matches and in my opinion it's probably the second best league in the world. There are plenty of great teams and world-class players. It's a great opportunity for me to be able to face them and develop as a player. I can't wait to get started. There are several fantastic players at the club, but at times results can be hard to come by. When given the chance, I will give everything to help the team." Looking ahead to the Copa del Rey, he stated that "we are not that far away from the final and we will be desperate to win next week. Getafe are a tough team to beat, especially away from home. But if we play with passion, focus and confidence, there is no reason why we can't win and continue the run in the cup."

Agoumé revealed that when he was 17 years old, he was in Cologne for the Europa League final. "I was at the stadium. It was a tough day for me. I was only 17 and the Europa League was very important for us at Inter, and obviously we lost. We were all disappointed but that's life, you have to pick yourselves up and keep working. Sevilla are a strong side and have great history in the Europa League. Winning it seven times is crazy!" He then referred to the fans: "They're incredible and the Sánchez-Pizjuán is an iconic stadium. Sevilla fans are well-known all over the globe so to have the opportunity to play here in front of them is a great honour." Finally, he talked about his hopes for the coming months. "I want to give everything, train hard, play well, help the team, win games and make the fans smile. It has been a tough period for the club, we all know that, but I will give everything that I have to help the team out of that situation. That is the goal for the second half of the season."