Botafogo confirm signing of Salomon Kalou on a free transfer | OneFootball

Brazilian Serie A side Botafogo have announced the arrival of Salomon Kalou on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with Hertha Berlin.

Earlier this month, the club’s former president Carlos Augusto Montenegro confirmed that talks were at advanced stage with Kalou and the Ivorian would join the club, provided rivals Vasco da Gama don’t make a late attempt to hijack the deal.

The Rio de Janeiro have now formally completed the signing of the 2012 Champions League winner and the 34-year-old has been given the number 8 jersey, which he has worn with former clubs Hertha and Lille over the past eight years.

Botafogo finished in a disappointing 15th position during the previous Serie A campaign and it was the first time since their promotion in 2016 that they were unable to secure a position in the top half of the table.

They were unimpressive in the final third, having scored just 31 times from their 38 matches, but the experience of Kalou upfront should improve their goalscoring exploits this term.

Kalou has signed for Botafogo after six years with German side Hertha where he bagged a tally of 53 goals and 18 assists from 173 appearances across all competitions.

In his final campaign, he managed only seven outings and did not feature following the COVID-19 shutdown. He was suspended by Hertha for engaging in handshakes with his teammates and club’s officials, which broke the social distancing rules.

He has now decided to play outside of Europe for the first time in his professional career and it remains to be seen whether he can prolong his stint with Botafogo by becoming a key performer for them upfront. He has signed a contract until December 2021.

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