Transfers : Diallo’s signature postponed until June, unless...

Discussing the information published in the press on yesterday (Sunday), the SC Bastia management clarified the situation regarding the transfer of their attacking midfielder Sadio Diallo, who should sign a contract with Rennes soon.

Hit by a recruitment ban from the DNCG, the Corsican club would be unable to get the player on loan if they were accepting to sell him to Stade Rennes as soon as January. A situation which, in January 2010, had prevented the loan of Yoric Ravet to Grenoble, after the player had been transferred from the club from Isere to AS Saint-Étienne.
«There is nothing preventing us from transferring Diallo to Rennes, but if we sign today, he won’t be able to finish the season with us, explained Pierre-Marie Geronimi, the Bastia president, talking to Corse-Matin. His official signature is simply postponed until June, and our agreement with Rennes is not being questioned ».

It isn’t excluded however, that the situation could evolve as soon as this January. Geronimi explained that the issue with DNCG is more «administrative than purely economic », having not receive a clear official notification of its recruitment ban. Naturally embarrassed, and affirming it reimbursed most of its debts, the Corsican club appealed the decision, and could therefore conclude the transfer in the next weeks if the ban was to be lifted.
In all cases, Bastia strongly denied having received a last minute 5 million euros bid from FC Lorient, as announced by L’Équipe on Sunday morning. As for the player, he seems to have clearly chosen Rennes to continue his career from the month of June.