LYON, France -- France defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa has completed his transfer from AS Roma to Lyon after signing a five-year deal with the French league club.
Lyon, last-year's runner up to Paris Saint-Germain, said the deal is worth €8 million ($8.8 million), plus bonuses that could potentially add €2 million to the accord.
The 26-year-old Yanga-Mbiwa won the French title with Montpellier in 2012 before joining Newcastle in the English Premier League and then moving to Italy last year.
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa made headlines last Wednesday when both he and Lionel Messi received yellow cards after a heated exchange that saw the Barcelona No. 10 head-butt and grab the throat of the Roma defender in a 3-0 friendly win for Barca in the Joan Gamper Trophy match.
It's unclear what provoked the incident, but in the 34th minute Messi and Yanga-Mbiwa came face-to-face, with the Argentine clearly upset about something. Yanga-Mbiwa appeared to initiate the contact, leaning in with his forehead, and Messi responded by head-butting the French defender and then reaching for his throat.
Yanga-Mbiwa, who made 28 appearances in Serie A, has also played four matches for France.