There will be questions asked about his age, his health status and – quite frankly – what exactly Valour FC newcomer Arnold Bouka Moutu has brought to the Canadian Premier League. All those answers will come in due time, but Valour GM and coach Rob Gale is convinced they have signed a gem in the Congolese international, who has spent his last three years playing in France’s Ligue 1 with FCO Dijon. Valour FC announced the signing of the 31-year-old left back on Friday. "This time last year he was playing in one of the top four leagues in the world," Gale said. "There’s obvious experience and quality there, and it fills a positional need for us. "Through our contacts we were very fortunate we found him at a time when he was in between teams. We talked to him about our project and what we’re trying to do and it appealed to him on a number of levels. "I don’t want to overstate it, but if you look at the level he’s just finished at last year and would still be playing if it wasn’t for a contract dispute he would still be there. We swooped in last fall and talked to him about making sure he wasn’t signing anywhere in January, but was coming to us." RELATED READING: Valour signs ex-Ligue 1 defender Arnold Bouka Moutou Granted, Bouka Moutu has not played since the end of the 2018-19 season, when he appeared in three matches and played 64 minutes for Dijon. But Gale believes his newest recruit is a perfect fit for a squad that last year struggled in defending and looked to add more experience and skill this off-season. Enter Bouka Moutu who, along with his extensive Ligue 1 experience, has 21 caps for the Congolese national team. "There’s a great unknown with any player coming overseas in can they play in the cold and the heat and on the turf and different surfaces," Gale said. "But when you’ve played 30-odd times for your country and played against the best players in the world, he’s got undoubted quality." And for those who are already wondering, there’s this: he’s not eating up a huge chunk of the salary cap, either. "He’s actually coming in at right around the average wage of the league, which is unbelievable and a testament to him and his desire to play here," Gale said. "That’s the point for him – he’s been successful and played at the highest level and now he has the ability to choose football projects that he believes in. "He actually had an offer in France and could have stayed, but we had already discussed it and when January came around we made sure all pertinent details were agreed to so he can come in. "He likes the idea of showcasing himself in North America. So, it’s win-win."

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