Dréossi : “It’s on the right track for Féret”

During the 2011-2012 season, midfielder Julien Féret is more than likely to wear the shirt of Stade Rennes, where he received his training as a teenager. Usually very cautious when it comes to the club’s transfers, Stade Rennais manager Pierre Dréossi showed unusally optimistic regarding the Nancy player, announced since months as a possible recruit.

«Find a solution by the end of the week»

« It’s on the right track, Dréossi revealed in a phone interview to RMC. He is a player we know well. He was trained at the club. He took time to develop to the player he is now. He arrived late in the first division, aged 26. He wants to come and we want it to happen. We are currently in talks with Nancy, I hope we will find a solution before the end of the week”.
Last Saturday, Nancy president Jacques Rousselot affirmed he had received an offer from Lorient, and registered interest from German clubs, but it’s probably in Rennes that Féret will arrive, bar a last second twist. The experienced attacking midfielder (He will turn 29 in July) could therefore become the first Rennes recruit of a transfer window starting next Thursday.

Until the return to training, on June 27th, Pierre Dréossi is hoping for the arrival of “two, three or even four players” who will quickly reinforce Frédéric Antonetti’s squad. The remainder of the transfer period should allow the club to hire the additional sought after players, with five players expected this summer.
At the moment, the names of the additional two attacking players – besides Féret – who will arrive in Brittany remain unknown. Questioned about the likes of Caen’s Youssef El Arabi and Paris’ Mevlüt Erding, Pierre Dréossi was adamant, the two players don’t seem to be interested. As for Monaco’s Chu Young Park, the general manager didn’t deny an interest for the player. “We are taking information, he admitted. Now, there are economic conditions which mean that at the moment we can’t afford that kind of prices”. Beyond the transfer fee requested by Monaco, the player’s (big) salary is a stumbling block, and he seems more likely to head towards England, or the Paris Saint-Germain.

«We will try to loan Carrasso»

Another big transfer question, who will be the first choice goalkeeper? Still in reflexion over the last few weeks, the club’s management have decided not to give Johann Carrasso their trust… at least not for this season. “He needs to play a lot in order to come back to his best level, Dréossi explained. He now has the physical ability and the technical ability, but he’s just had a blank season and he was injured the previous year. We will try to loan him out so he can play. We know he has qualities, and we will be able to have him back in a year”.
Until then, the Stade Rennais will therefore hire a new goalkeeper, but the club won’t spend fortunes to recruit him. The only certainty is that it will be a “player who played the full season last year, whether it is in the first or second division”. The names of Nice’s David Ospina and Monaco’s Stéphane Ruffier, often mentioned, remain distant perspectives, mainly for financial reasons. For Ruffier, who could be attracted to Brittany by a mutual interest, “it doesn’t match what we are capable to do, Dréossi regrets. Financially, we are far from that range of price. At the moment we couldn’t go for him”. At the moment, AS Monaco are requesting at least seven million euros to release their goalkeeper. The financial issue is the same for Ospina, whom Dréossi considers an “unreachable” target.

Beside the transfers, the club is also working on extending the existing contracts, and particularly on Kader Mangane’s , which is due to expire in two years. Although the Senegalese defender is considering his options for the future, Pierre Dréossi thinks he can convince him to stay. “We are not far from reaching an agreement for an extension, the general manager affirmed. He will return to Brittany in a few days (i.e.: Mangane was called with his national team this week), we will meet with his agent to finalise this. I think we are well on track to keep our captain on board. This is our will”. Answers in the coming few weeks.