At the dawn of his second stint with the south-western club, Alain Casanova spoke of his ambitions with Toulouse FC before announcing the arrival of ‘keeper Baptiste Reynet.
Casanova, 57, held the reins at Toulouse FC for seven years in his first coaching spell with the club he also represented as a player, and now that he has returned, he has made it clear he has high hopes.
“I have returned with a lot of ambition,” he declared in a press conference to mark the beginning of pre-season preparations, three years and four months after he was sacked with the club sitting in 18th place in Ligue 1 Conforama. “If the club president [Olivier Sadran] brought me back, it’s surely because I’m the best man for the job. Our ambition is to play the most beautiful football possible and finish as high up the table as possible.”
Reynet arrive, Leya Iseka not far behind
After holding his first training session, with notably Max-Alain Gradel and Jessy Pi (back from a loan at Domino’s Ligue 2 side Stade Brestois 29), the ex-Lens boss confirmed the imminent arrivals of ex-Dijon FCO ‘keeper Baptiste Reynet (27) and Belgian youth international striker Aaron Leya Iseka (20) – the brother of former Olympique de Marseille forward Michy Batshuayi – from Anderlecht.
Baptiste Reynet will sign a four-year deal in accordance with an agreement reached between Toulouse FC and Dijon FCO, officialised by the Burgundy club a few minutes later, pending a successful medical. The TFC did not reveal the details of the deal for Leya Iseka, who is on the books at Anderlecht but who spent last season out on loan at Zulte Waregem (BEL), scoring nine goals in 32 appearances.
“Two other players will join us very soon,” added Casanova, who is waiting on an experienced central defender and a ‘techincal’ midfielder.
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