Tunisia forward Khazri joins Saint-Etienne

Ligue 1 outfit Saint-Etienne has announced the arrival of Tunisia forward Wahbi Khazri on a four-year contract until 2022.

Khazri was on Tuesday the latest reinforcement of Saint-Etienne following signatures of Mathieu Debuchy and Kevin Monnet-Paquet. The Tunisia forward will wear the No. 10 jersey in the new season, reports Xinhua news agency.

"At 27, Wahbi has reached his maturity. Not only did he lead his team to the finals of the World Cup, he also managed to show his great talent in a high-quality group where Tunisia faced two of the semi-finalists (Belgium and England)," said Frederic Paquet, director general of Saint-Etienne.

"He is the technical leader and the player that the club needs to keep its sporting dynamics during the second half of last season," Paquet added.

Born in Ajaccio, Khazri started his professional career in Bastia. He played a pivotal role in helping the team reach the French top-flight league with nine goals in 33 matches.

He joined Bordeaux in 2014 and scored 14 goals in 52 Ligue 1 matches before being recruited by Sunderland in January 2016.

He was loaned to Ligue 1 side Rennes last season, propelling the team into the UEFA Europa League with his nine goals.

Once seen as a French international hope, Khazri chose to play for Tunisia in 2012. He and his teammates secured a ticket to the team's first FIFA World Cup since 2006, and the fifth overall.

In Russia, Khazri featured in all three group matches, scoring each against Belgium and Panama. He has netted 14 times in 40 matches for Tunisia.

--IANS

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