Rennes ultras hit out at potential signing of ex-Nantes captain Valentin Rongier | OneFootball

Olympique de Marseille pair Valentin Rongier (30) and Quentin Merlin (23) have left the club’s pre-season training camp in Zeist, Netherlands this week to complete a joint move to Ligue 1 rivals Stade Rennais – but not everyone in the capital of Brittany is celebrating.

According to RMC Sport and L’Équipe, Rennes reached an agreement in principle with OM to sign both players in a package deal worth €22.5 million, with Merlin expected to cost around €13m. The Brittany outfit moved quickly to reinforce their squad following the departure of club captain Adrien Truffert, who joined Bournemouth for €17m. Rongier, entering the final year of his contract at Marseille, had refused an extension and will now be replaced by new OM signing Angel Gomes.

However, while the moves may be smart business on the pitch, Rongier’s arrival has triggered fierce backlash among Rennes fans—particularly from the Roazhon Celtic Kop, the club’s most prominent ultra group.

“It is with a certain astonishment that we learned of the probable transfer of Valentin Rongier to Stade Rennais,” the group wrote in a public statement. “No need to remind Rouge et Noir supporters of the open disdain this player has shown towards our club… between childish digs on social media and interviews where he said he could ‘never sign for Rennes’ because they were the enemy, Rongier has no legitimacy to wear our colours.”

The statement, released just minutes after photos emerged of both players signing autographs at Rennes airport, described the move as “an affront” and strongly implied they would not accept the midfielder’s presence at Roazhon Park.

By contrast, Quentin Merlin, who also came through the Nantes academy, appears to have been spared the hostility—perhaps because he made no such comments in the past. Nantes are, in any case, due a 10% sell-on fee from Merlin’s move.

Rongier spent six seasons at Marseille after joining from his boyhood club in 2019. He wore the captain’s armband under multiple managers and remained a core figure despite recurrent injuries last season.GFFN | George Boxall