Côte d’Ivoire striker Seydou Doumbia has officially joined Swiss club Basel on a season-long loan from Serie A outfit Roma.
The 28-year-old struggled to find his form last season on loan at Newcastle United in the English Premier League, and he now has a chance to prove his critics wrong with the current league champions in Switzerland.
Having joined Roma from CSKA Moscow in January 2015, the Côte d’Ivoire international struggled to establish any consistency in the Italian capital, and spent time on loan with Newcastle and his former Russian club.
With the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on the horizon, Doumbia wants to secure playing time to ensure that he features amongst the Elephants when they defend their African crown in Gabon early next year.
The striker returns to Switzerland where he enjoyed an excellent two year spell with BSC Young Boys between 2008 and 2010. He scored an impressive 57 goals in 78 appearances for the Bern-based club, and will hope to reignite his career at their rivals Basel.
The club will be hoping for the same, as they have UEFA Champions League football commitments this coming season, and having a prolific striker on their books will certainly strengthen their cause.