Lemoine commits to Saint-Etienne
Saint-Etienne midfielder Fabien Lemoine has signed a one-year contract extension, the Ligue 1 club have announced.
Lemoine's contract had been due to expire in the summer of 2017 but the new deal means the 28-year-old midfielder, who joined from Rennes in 2011, should remain part of manager Christophe Galtier's plans for the foreseeable future.
"Fabien Lemoine has signed a contract for one more season for ASSE. The 28-year-old Saint-Etienne midfielder is now tied to the club until 2018," a statement on the club's official website read.
Lemoine revealed Saint-Etienne's ambition helped convince him to extend his stay with the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard club. He said: "This extension is a logical continuation for me. Everything is in place for me to continue to develop at Saint-Etienne.
"The club is ambitious. Each year we are constantly improving. We have ways to further achieve great things. We have showed that we are able to fight against teams with greater financial resources."
Galtier added: "He's a boy who always has the right attitude even if he happens to grumble. He always acts in the interests of the club and the team. For four seasons, he has stabilised our midfield."
Saint-Etienne are currently fifth in Ligue 1 with five games remaining and are just two points behind third-placed Monaco in the final UEFA Champions League qualifying spot.