Transfers: 24 hours to go!

The summer has been marked with much activity in Brittany, with the Stade Rennais being one of the biggest spenders in the French League, investing 18 million euros in six new players. Only Lyon – signing Yoann Gourcuff- and Marseille – With André-Pierre Gignac and Loïc Rémy – have spent more than the “Rouge et Noir”.

Express Transfers ?

After fourteen departures, including three on loan (Badiane, N’Diaye, Pajot) during the summer, Rennes could see a few more arriving in the next few hours. Authorisation to leave for some, ambition for the others, a few key elements of the 2010-2011 Stade Rennais could be ready to pack up their cases.

Having failed to convince Frédéric Antonetti since he arrived in Brittany, Ismaël Bangoura has always been a potential transfer fot the club’s management, eager to get back some of the 11 million invested last year to recruit the Guinea international. As he was targeted by Toulouse, Pierre Dréossi affirmed recently that « if he (Bangoura) was to leave, it would not be towards another French club”. Since then, the Al-Nasr SC (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) came for news. But would the player interested with this possibility?

Targeted since months by the Ateltico Madrid, Rod Fanni could well remain in Rennes, unless a foreign club was to make a last minute offer to sign the French international. Authorised to leave the club in case a good offer arrived at the club, it was expected many interest would be raised. However, the lengthy negotiations and the player’s firm decision to join the Spanish capital seem to have discouraged some of the interested sides. Sunderland has reportedly requested information this week-end, but Antonetti would not mind keeping Fanni in his squad, who gave complete satisfaction as a centre defender since the beginning of the Ligue 1 season.

Gyan seen in England this Monday !

This could be one of the big stories of the end of this summer transfer market. Will Asamoah Gyan answer to the call of England and join a second tier Premier League club such as Sunderland? Not unlikely if we believe the latest information from RMC, announcing that “Babyjet” would sign a 4 years contract in the Tyne and Wear county. Indeed, both club are told to have agreed on a 14 million euros transfer fee !

After accepting this departure, if the information was to be confirmed, will the Rennes management plan to reinvest the money in a new striker? Invited on the Canal Football Club on Sunday, Lorient striker Kévin Gameiro affirmed he doesn’t know where he will play after August 31st. By all means, it would be hard to imagine that Rennes could let a key player leave at this time of the transfer market without a replacement option ready. However, Gameiro’s new international status would probably increase the value of the player.

Last but not least, it will be interesting to see what the club’s position is towards Sylvain Marveaux. Reaching the end of his contract in June, the Breton winger is on a dominant position towards his employers, since he refused to extend his contract with his training club. When the players expressed an interest to join the Paris Saint Germain in June, Dréossi had soon declared the player “non-transferable”. It would not be surprising however, if the club was to try everything to extend “Marvelous”’ contract, as for Jimmy Briand last year.

Left out of the first squad, Bira Dembélé doesn’t feature in Antonetti’s tactics, who already has much choice in the central defence. A regular member of the reserve team since the beginning of the season, the Paris born knows his time has come to leave the “Rouge et Noir”. Contracted until June 2011, the club could release him to help him find a new challenge elsewhere.