Transfers : Gyan still far from Nonda

Some departures are hard to cope with, from a sportive or affective point of view, and some are unavoidable for… accounting reasons. In Pierre Dréossi’s mind, these are offer which "can’t be refused, neither by the club nor by the player".

Rennes’ three biggest sales!

So is modern football since a decade or so, and things are not likely to change in a near future. The Rennes fans learnt it to their expense during this summer transfer window. As they though Asamoah Gyan would wear the Rennes shirt for another season, he completed a last minute transfer to Sunderland for a fee of 16 million euros.

However, despite the amount, this transfer is not the biggest fee received by the club on the departure of one of its players. Indeed, in June 2000, the Stade Rennais management received no less than 130 million French francs for Shabani Nonda, or more than 20 million euros! The gain made on the player was also massive, as the Democratic Republic of Congo striker had been recruited for a 40 million francs fee, or 6 million euros.

Still on the podium, in third position: Petr Čech. The emblematic goalkeeper remained in the Rennes fans memory for the charisma he displayed during his two years of learning in Rennes. Courted by Chelsea, the Czech international eventually signed a four year contract with the London club, for a fee of 14.3 million euros! A record fee for a goalkeeper, recruited by Rennes for 5 million euros two years earlier, in June 2002.

Behind these three, Stéphane M’bia (to Marseille, June 2009) and John Utaka (to Portsmouth, June 2007) complete the Top 5 with transfers both valued around 12 million euros. Taking much profit of the competition between potential buyers and of the interest of English club, Rennes can consider they sold them these players at the right time, not forgetting M’Bia had arrived to Rennes’ Academy for nearly nothing.

Between profit and loss

Then comes John Mensah’s departure to Lyon for 8.4 million euros. Unkown when he arrived from Chievo Verona in January 2006, the Ghanaian international was fully transferred to Rennes six months later for… 2 million euros. Plagued with recurring injuries, Rennes sold him to the better bidder in June 2008, and the Olympique Lyonnais was on top, despite the player’s interest for the Premier League.
Same destination for Kim Källström, joining the seven-time French champions for 8 million after two and a half seasons in Brittany. However, 25% of this transfer was to be handed back to Djurgårdens IF, the Swedish club from which the Stade Rennais had bought the Nordic midfielder.

Recently departed, Ismaël Bangoura is a particular case, since he was one of Rennes’s most important investments ever when he joined the club a year ago. Rennes had indeed spent a fee of 11 million euros to recruit him. For a clear deficit as the Guinean left to Al Nasr (United Arab Emirates) for three million euros less!

It wasn’t the case for Emerson. Emerson who? Remember, the Brazilian was announced as a “gamble” taken by the club (for a fee of 5 million euros) at his arrival. A lost gamble, as the player only played 103 minutes in 4 months, for 6 entrances as a substitute. Pierre Dréossi managed the performance to resell him for a fee superior to the purchase price however, even though he barely played with the professional squad: 7.5 million euros.

Finally, David Sommeil is the tenth man in this standing. Bought from Caen during the 1998 summer, the Guadeloupian managed two very strong seasons, being touted as one of the best defenders in the league. Wishing to play for a stronger club, he was hired by Bordeaux against 7 million euros. Sommeil is now retired from football after a serious cardiac accident during training with Valenciennes, at the end of 2008. He currently follows a re-education process in Gironde, in order to re-learn the simple acts of the day to day life.

Top 10 transfers from the Stade Rennais

- 1 : Nonda (20 million euros)
- 2 : Asamoah Gyan (16 million euros)
- 3 : Cech (14,3 million euros)
- 4 : M’bia (12 million euros)
- 4 : Utaka (12 million euros)
- 6 : Mensah (8,4 million euros)
- 7 : Bangoura (8 million euros)
- 7 : Källström (8 million euros)
- 9 : Emerson (7,5 million euros)
- 10 : Sommeil (7 million euros)