MONTPELLIER, France (AP) — Striker Andy Delort is returning to Montpellier to help the French league club in its fight against relegation.
Delort, who comes from the nearby port city of Sete, played for Montpellier from 2018 to 2021. The club said on Wednesday he is returning on a loan deal from Moloudia d'Alger with a buyout option.
He arrives as a replacement for Akor Adams, who left for Sevilla in the Spanish league.
Delort played 106 matches across all competitions over his three seasons with Montpellier, scoring 47 goals and delivering 21 assists. Montpellier, which has the worst defensive record in the league this season, has also been struggling upfront and will be hoping that Delort can match his past production.
Despite signs of improvement in recent weeks, Montpellier sits in the relegation zone, having conceded 44 goals in 19 matches in a season marking the club’s 50th anniversary.
“It's a difficult mission, but with this club we can do it,” said Delort, who represents Algeria at the international level. “I'm not the savior but I will give everything so we can give an extraordinary end to the season.”
Montpellier won its only French league title in 2012, when it upset Paris Saint-Germain. The club also won the second division in 1987 and the French Cup in 1990 with a team featuring the likes of Eric Cantona, Laurent Blanc and Julio Cesar.
But Montpellier’s ambitions this season have been significantly hampered by the significant drop in television rights revenues, preventing the club from securing the reinforcements it planned.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
The Associated Press
