Prolific Lafata leaves Jablonec for Sparta

AC Sparta Praha have signed Czech First League leading scorer David Lafata from FK Jablonec for an undisclosed fee.

Lafata, 31, has penned a three-and-a-half-year contract with Sparta, who are third in the top flight, a point adrift of Jablonec. Lafata, a Czech international with 24 caps to his name, top-scored in the Gambrinus Liga with Jablonec in both 2010/11 (19 goals) and 2011/12 (25), and sets the pace again this term with 13 strikes from 16 appearances.

"The signing of David is a clear sign to everyone that Sparta want to show power and quality, not only on the Czech scene but also in Europe," said Sparta coach Vítězslav Lavička. "We want to play with two forwards and adapt our style of play to make the most of David's scoring abilities."

Former FK Austria Wien front man Lafata, who netted 89 times in 161 league outings for Jablonec, added: "I am really happy, my dream has come true. Thanks to Jablonec I got to a certain level and I would like to thank them for releasing me for this transfer, which marks a step forward in my career." Sparta face European champions Chelsea FC in the UEFA Europa League round of 32, with the first leg in Prague on 14 February.