Football : French Ligue 1 transfers in 2009/2010 season

Le Mans have signed striker Olivier Thomert from league rivals Rennes on a short-term deal in an attempt to avoid relegation. The 29-year-old, who can play either through the middle or on either wing, has joined Le Mans until the end of the season. Thomert started only one league game for Rennes this campaign.

Lorient made a double swoop on the final day of the transfer window as they brought Gregory Bourillon and Sebastian Dubarbier. French defender Bourillon joined from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of €1.7m, while Argentinian forward Dubarbier arrives from Romanian side Cluj. Bourillon, 25, and Dubarbier, 23, both signed four-and-a-half-year contracts with Lorient.

Montpellier have signed Marseille defender Garry Bocaly for the remainder of the season with an option to buy the 21-year-old when the loan ends. Bocaly was on loan at Montpellier last season, scoring four goals in 35 league games as the team went up to the first division on the last day of the campaign. Montpellier have also signed French second-division top scorer Olivier Giroud from Tours. The 23-year-old striker has agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract but will be loaned back to Tours until the end of the season.

Lyon have moved to bolster their defence with the signing of Croatian defender Dejan Lovren on a four-and-a-half-year contract from Dinamo Zagreb. The French club said that the 20-year-old centre-back has joined for an initial fee of €8m which could rise to €9.5m depending on bonuses. Lovren, who can also play as a full back, has made two international appearances for Croatia.

Monaco have completed the transfer of Nigerian striker Ouwo Maazou from CSKA Moscow on a six-month loan deal with an option for a permanent move in June. The 21-year-old was mainly restricted to substitute appearances at the Russian side and scored three league goals in 15 games for CSKA. Maazou's arrival could precipitate the departure of Iceland striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who has failed to score since joining Monaco from Barcelona.

Defender Renato Civelli has joined Nice on loan from Argentine team San Lorenzo. The 26-year-old central defender scored six league goals in 46 games for Marseille before joining San Lorenzo last year. Civelli started his playing career at Argentine club Banfield. Nice are in 16th place in the French league, six points above the relegation zone.

Former Celtic defender Bobo Balde has signed a short-term contract with French side Valenciennes. The 34-year-old Guinea international departed Celtic in the summer after eight years with the Scottish giants, and was linked with Birmingham City and Wolves. After training with a number of clubs, Balde has now agreed terms with Valenciennes until the end of the season.

Iceland striker Eidur Gudjohnsen has joined Monaco from Barcelona on a two-year contract. The 30-year-old, who joined the Spanish club in 2006 after six seasons at Chelsea, no longer played any part in Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola's plans. Gudjohnsen scored just 10 goals in his three years at Camp Nou. "It's a new challenge for me. Monaco are a club with a great history," said Gudjohnsen.

Saint-Etienne have reached a deal with Argentine club San Lorenzo to buy Argentina striker Gonzalo Bergessio for a reported fee of €6.2m. The 25-year-old will sign a four-year contract. Bergessio is Saint-Etienne's second signing in less than a week after luring Ivory Coast striker Boubacar Sanogo from Werder Bremen. The 10-times French champions badly need new forwards since France striker Bafetimbi Gomis has left them for league rivals Lyon.

Ivory Coast striker Boubacar Sanogo has agreed a three-year contract with French side Saint-Etienne. The 26-year-old moves from the German club Werder Bremen for an undisclosed fee. Sanogo, who played for Hoffenheim on loan in the second half of the last season, played also under the current Saint-Etienne coach Alain Perrin in 2004 when both were at United Arab Emirates side Al Ain. He has been signed as a replacement for Bafetimbi Gomis, who left last month to sign for rivals Lyon.

Lyon have confirmed the signing of France striker ly from historically bitter rivals Saint-Etienne in a €13m deal. The 23-year-old, scorer of ten goals last season, signed a five-year contract. Gomis' arrival follows Lyon's earlier €24m swoop for Lisandro Lopez in a club-record deal from Porto as they moved decisively to rebuild their attack following Karim Benzema's departure for Real Madrid.

Marseille's new midfield signing Lucho Gonzalez is expected to miss the start of season after fracturing his collarbone in a friendly. The Argentinian international, who joined from Porto for a club-record €17m fee earlier this month, will be sidelined until mid-September. Meanwhile, Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze was poised to join Marseille from Real Madrid after both clubs reached an agreement. The 31-year-old, who joined Real from Manchester United two years ago, has agreed a three-year deal.