Rennes nearing €20m agreement to sign Al-Nassr midfielder Seko Fofana | OneFootball

Rennes are nearing an agreement to sign Al Nassr midfielder Seko Fofana (29), according to reports from L’Equipe and Ouest-France. The Ivory Coast international would make a sensational return to Ligue 1 after leading RC Lens to a second-place finish in 2023. The former Udinese midfielder then left the Artois side for the riches of Saudi football, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané at Al-Nassr. Fofana is currently loaned to SPL rivals Al-Ettifaq.

Rennes were in the market for an experienced box-to-box midfielder and, according to sources contacted by Get French Football News, Fofana was billed as the No. 1 priority signing for the winter transfer window. Fofana’s relationship with Rennes president Arnaud Pouille – the former RC Lens CEO – proved instrumental in bringing Fofana back to Ligue 1. GFFN can also confirm the midfielder is already in France. Fofana, who topped the 2021 GFFN 100 rankings, was keen to return to France and work under the tutelage of Rennes head coach Jorge Sampaoli. L’Equipe mentions that the Argentine manager already tried to lure the Ivory Coast international during his time as Marseille manager.

It appears Rennes have moved swiftly to seal an agreement on principle with Fofana over a four-year contract. L’Equipe understands that the Ligue 1 club will pay north of €20m to secure the services of the 2024 AFCON winner. Seko Fofana would be the second SPL player to leave Saudi Arabia for Stade Rennais, following in the footsteps of Jota.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval