Despite a difficult start to the season, Rennes’ players remain highly coveted this month. Arnaud Kalimuendo is a target for Eintracht Frankfurt, whilst Olympique de Marseille have enquired about Adrien Truffert, however, Les Rennais are remaining firm in their stance that none of their key assets are on the market this month. 

Napoli and Roma interested in Theate

Rennes’ resistance to negotiate a move for Truffert has forced Marseille to look at alternatives, according to Foot Mercato, with FC Nantes’ Quentin Merlin being lined up. Napoli and AS Roma, both of whom hold an interest in Belgium international Theate, may also have to look elsewhere. 

The former Bologna centre-back, who has previously garnered interest from Liverpool, will not be allowed to leave Rennes this month. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Renan Lodi (25) completed his move to Al-Hilal earlier this week, and despite already signing Ulisses Garcia from Young Boys, OM are looking to bring in another left-back this window. Truffert remains a target for Gennaro Gattuso’s side, however, with Rennes reluctant to part ways with the France international, alternatives are being sounded out. 

Merlin is perhaps a more realistic option. Unlike their Breton rivals, Nantes are open to selling Merlin this month. The France U21 international is available for over €12m. Foot Mercato add that two other left-backs, none of whom currently play in France, are also being targeted. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Les Rouges et Noirs are actively looking for a replacement for Nemanja Matic (35), who only joined the club last summer, but is already set to depart, with Olympique Lyonnais having shown keen interest to sign the player. Matusiwa joined Reims from FC Groningen back in 2021 and has since become one of the club’s top performers under Will Still, balancing out a very offence-oriented and intense midfield.

Though not as tall as Matic, Matusiwa would provide a similar form of holding play and distribution abilities, also proving very tough to get by in through dribbling. Rennes are currently 10th in Ligue 1, and are looking to improve their squad in order to fight for European qualification spots come the end of the season.

GFFN | Alfred Lalande

Seidu is currently taking part in the AFCON with Ghana, with whom he is to enter the competition tomorrow in a match against Egypt, but he remains one of the most consistent defenders in Ligue 1, having become Clermont’s defensive leader ever since the club obtained promotion from Ligue 2 back in 2021.

The 23-year-old would come to reinforce a struggling Rennes side, which ranks only 10th in the table after 18 games played, and is in dire need of reinforcements if they are to reach their end-of-season objectives. On the other hand, would leave a gaping hole in Clermont’s defence, as the club is currently 17th in the league, having the fifth-worst defence in Ligue 1.

GFFN | Alfred Lalande

For several years now, Benjamin Bourigeaud has been one of the most consistent players in Ligue 1, delivering on a weekly basis gutsy performances that translated into his never-say-die attitude and commitment to the Brittany club. Bourigeaud’s status as Rennes’ standard-setter and most important player earned him a contract extension in 2022, tying him to Stade Rennais until 2026.

The RC Lens youth product is a rare breed of football player, the kind that improves his teammates by just being there on the pitch. When Bourigeaud is playing well, Rennes play well, it is as simple as that. Moreover, Bourigeaud’s versatility – he can play as a right-winger, a right-sided midfielder or a central midfielder – never really hinders his input at Rennes.

Rennes would have probably not finished fourth last year in the league without Bourigeaud pulling the strings in midfield and proving decisive on more than one occasion. The 29-year-old registered eight goal contributions in Rennes’ final six games of the campaign, including a final-day brace at Brest: a vicious direct free-kick in the bottom corner and a coolly-taken penalty in Marco Bizot’s top corner. Rennes leapfrogged Lille to go fourth that day and booked their ticket to the Europa League group stage. Bourigeaud ended the 2022-2023 season with eight goals and thirteen assists in all competitions: a remarkable turnout for a central midfielder by trade.

With veteran right-back Hamari Traoré leaving for Real Sociedad, head coach Bruno Genesio appointed Bourigeaud as the club’s skipper, a natural choice given the midfielder’s ever-lasting loyalty to the team he joined from Lens in 2017. “I feel a lot of pride“, Bourigeaud said before the start of the 2023-2024 season. “I’m obviously very happy, but I will still need everyone. I’ll stay true to myself and move forward with the team come what may.“

Putting on a brave face

It was supposed to be the season where Stade Rennais would take the next step. After six consecutive seasons in European competitions, Rennes Sporting director Florian Maurice aimed at a podium finish and a Champions League spot for the Breton team. Early in pre-season, Rennes has already bought two of Ligue 1’s best players in Lorient’s Enzo Le Fée and Nantes’ Ludovic Blas.

Les Rouge et Noir also successfully lured Premier League winner Nemanja Matic out of AS Roma. A youthful freewheeling Bruno Genesio-led team enhanced by trophy-winning experienced players and captained by one of Ligue 1’s unsung heroes. What could possibly go wrong?

In short, most of it. Alongside Olympique Lyonnais, Stade Rennais stands as the most disappointing team in Ligue 1 this season, given the means at their disposal and the fact they were a joy to watch with Genesio at the helm. Bourigeaud earns his share of the blame. His goal contributions have dried up and his influence has waned. He used to play as a central midfielder alongside Matic, and the understanding between the two was not clear to see. Rather than a classy tempo-setting midfielder like Matic, Rennes clearly needed a physical and press-resistant 6 in his prime years to shield an error-strewn pair of centre-backs.

Gag reel-worthy defensive mistakes, a lack of attacking edge and a struggling midfield were again on display when Rennes became the first Ligue 1 team to lose against the bottom Gones (0-1).

One of the stand-out moments of that dreaded Sunday for Rennes was not Guela Doué’s red card only five minutes in or Ireland’s Jake O’Brien’s game-winning header. It occurred after the game when a lost-for-word Bourigeaud faced the media in the mixed zone. “We’ll keep fighting. We’ll not give in… It’s tough. We’re mad at ourselves too. We’d love to bring a win home. We give our all. We’re tired of making efforts and not being rewarded for it.” The sight of Bourigeaud’s teary-eyed rant only endeared him even more to Rennes’ faithful fans.

Stade Rennais’ home loss to Lyon proved a tipping point for the team. During the following November international break, Genesio threw in the towel with Julien Stéphan replacing him in the Roazhon Park dugout. One of the first decisions taken by Stéphan was to strip Bourigeaud of the captaincy. “We had constructive discussions with a lot of respect for one another“, Bourigeaud said of Stéphan, who coached Rennes from 2018 to 2021. “I gave him my feelings, he gave me his. I left him the choice but I didn’t have my say.“

The former U20 France international was taken off midfield duty and repositioned as a right-sided wingback in Stéphan’s 3-4-3. For the Rennes manager’s homecoming return against Will Still’s Stade de Reims, Bourigeaud shone and looked back to his best, scoring his first non-penalty goal of the season and assisting Arthur Theate’s headed goal. Les Rouge et Noir‘s following defeats to Marseille and Monaco proved they were still very much a work in progress under Stéphan.

Now unburdened by the skipper’s armband, Bourigeaud will no doubt be the player his teammates will turn to to mount a resurgence in the top half of the Ligue 1 standings. It remains to be seen whether Bourigeaud will stick to the right flank or be given the midfield keys back with Matic seemingly pushing for an early exit. Rennes’ transfer business may very well determine the fate of their season and how Bourigeaud’s potential will be used best. Rennes’ hopes of qualifying for European competitions for a seventh year in a row depend on it.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

Admittedly, Gouiri’s progression since his academy days hasn’t been the easiest, as in 2018, then quoted as the next top prospect to come out of the OL academy and on the brink of fully integrating the first team, the 18-year-old had suffered an unfortunate cruciate ligament rupture. The injury had kept him away from football for six months, and according to some observers, the attacker hasn’t been the same since then.

Nonetheless, in the summer of 2020, he made the audacious decision to leave his academy club Olympique Lyonnais in order to join an exciting OGC Nice side which were looking to build their squad up for the coming seasons, in a transfer worth €7 million. The Algerian slotted straight into Patrick Vieira’s side, scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists during his first season at the club and while his second was equally prolific, criticism began to emerge surrounding his lack of consistency Indeed, as his importance in the squad grew, the player’s influence on the pitch seemed to diminish, at times costing him his spot in the starting XI.

Gouiri continues to struggle to find consistency

In the summer of 2022, the winger joined Stade Rennais in a transfer worth €28 million, while Rennes’ top scorer Gaëtan Laborde (29) went the other way. A double transfer seemed to suit both parties, as Les Aiglons looked to add experience to their front line, while Les Rouge et Noir wanted to diversify their attacking threat. The move also suited Gouiri who, playing off and around Martin Terrier (26), had his most successful season yet, scoring 17 and assisting seven in all competitions.

On top of his statistical output, he seemed relieved of the offensive responsibilities he had had at Nice where he was the major offensive outlet, surrounded by the likes of Jérémy Doku (21), Kamaldeen Sulemana (21), Arnaud Kalimuendo (21) and aforementioned Terrier, some of which have since moved on to different clubs. Gouiri played more freely, in a hybrid role between the left wing and striker position, where he could zone in and out of central areas and make better use of his chance creation and dribbling capabilities.

However, now in his second season at the club, the 23-year-old once again finds himself in a difficult period, though his lack of form could be more closely related to his team’s generally disappointing first half of the season. Injured and therefore unable to take part in the upcoming AFCON, Gouiri will look to work hard and come back stronger in 2024 playing under his new coach Julien Stéphan.

GFFN | Alfred Lalande

The summer was full of rumours that the defender was on the way out with clubs from the Premier League and Bundesliga all interested in securing his signature. And it’s easy to see why he generates so much interest as his skillset looks like the perfect compliment to any team that appreciates a measured approach. 

Theate impresses upon the game a calm and rhythmic talent that allows Rennes a comfortable base from which to build out from the back. Each attack that his side develops generally has his fingerprint hidden away in the early stages of its construction 

According to FBRef, the defender has a passing accuracy of 90.1% this season, a marginal increase on the already exceptional 89.4% that he recorded the season before with the club. However, there are still a few doubts that surround the player. 

Discrepancy between in-possession and out-of-possession composure

His ability with the ball has never been in question, instead, the problem has often been how well Theate functions when he is forced into playing without the ball. His ability to defend has not exactly excelled while he has represented Rennes, and the team have looked defensively porous this season. 

This would be a more acceptable downside to the player if he was one of the many young talents that had developed in the Rennes academy, but as one of the more expensive signings in a team that is not exceptionally wealthy, these flaws become more troubling. 

A €20 million investment should probably provide a more balanced game, but that side of Theate’s abilities has either not been nurtured enough in his time with Les Rouges et Noirs or it simply just will never be a strength. 

Manager Julién Stephan has expressed, since taking the job midseason, that he wants to turn Rennes into a tighter ship, and perhaps these efforts will help develop a player who could become truly exceptional.

GFFN | Nick Hartland

Ouest-France first revealed Ligue 1 interest in Kean. The Italian international already has experience in the French top flight, having played for Paris Saint-Germain, and according to the French publication, Rennes are interested in bringing him to Roazhon Park. 

Di Marzio now reports that Julien Stéphan’s side could face competition for Kean’s signature. Despite already signing Mohamed-Ali Cho, Nice remain short on attacking options given the absences of Terem Moffi and Jérémie Boga at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). 

Francesco Farioli is reportedly interested in bringing Kean to the Allianz Riviera on a loan deal, whilst Di Marzio also reveals an interest from Atletico Madrid. 

Since his return from Everton, the €30m striker has failed to truly establish himself at Juventus, and a departure cannot be ruled out this month. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Matić infuriated Rennes’ hierarchy when he left the city in order to force through a move away from the club. Whilst the Serbian international has since publicly apologised and returned to the club, a showdown meeting with executives on Monday failed to resolve the situation. It has, however, been agreed that both parties will try and facilitate a departure this month. 

Rennes are already moving to sign a replacement. Les Rennais were knocked back in their attempts to sign Stade Brestois’ Pierre Lees-Melou (30). The former Norwich City midfielder recently signed a new contract and is considered to be untransferable. 

Rennes have now turned to Reims. Having initially shown an interest in Amir Richardson (21), currently on AFCON duty, their attention has now turned to midfield partner Matusiwa. According to Hawkins, a €13m bid has even been submitted to sign the Dutch midfielder. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Rennes invested again over the summer, as they balanced the departures of Jérémy Doku and Lovro Majer with the acquisitions of Enzo Le Fée and Nemanja Matić. And there was an expectation that this was the season that the project building in Brittany would finally kick into gear. 

Under manager, Bruno Génésio, Rennes had performed consistently as they secured two consecutive fourth-placed finishes. Yet, there was always a feeling that they had still underperformed compared to the immense potential hidden within the team. 

A 5-1 victory to start this season against newly promoted FC Metz felt like a clear signal that their time had finally come, and the team remained unbeaten until a visit to Paris Saint-Germain in game week eight. After that loss, the floodgates were open, and the project under Génésio was soon at its end. 

An old manager made anew

A poor run of form culminating in a defeat to then-winless Olympique Lyonnais was the breaking point for the club, as they acted quickly to sack Génésio. Rennes turned to the man that Génésio had originally replaced, as Julien Stéphan became their “new” manager. 

Stéphan’s arrival saw Rennes win consecutive games for the first time this season before a slide into routine brought the club back to its worrying reality. Les Rouges et Noirs could not muster another performance, and with one game remaining in the year Stéphan admitted something that felt unthinkable, Rennes were facing a relegation battle. 

The manager summarised, ‘The situation is not good, not bright, we must not deny it […] the diagnosis is clear and we have to face the reality, which is that we are fighting with teams like Toulouse and Clermont.’ 

Perhaps these comments were enough to galvanise a struggling squad, and they finished the year on a high with a victory over Clermont Foot. However, the winter break looked to bring fresh problems for the side. 

A breakdown in relations between the club and Matić saw the player attempt to force a move away from Rennes only six months after joining the project in the North of France, while rumours persisted around striker, Arnaud Kalimuendo, who has become the target of Eintracht Frankfurt’s search for a forward. 

A turning point for Rennes? 

Despite the noise surrounding them, Les Rouges et Noirs returned from the break with a renewed outlook and a sense of calm on the field. A victory in the Coupe de France over local rivals En Avant Guingamp was just the sort of game that Rennes should be winning but was exactly the type of fixture that had left the team unstuck this season. 

A visit from OGC Nice looked to be a difficult return to league football, but the calm that has come to take shape in Rennes ran for another week. Les Rouges et Noirs were exceptional in their 2-0 victory as they caused continuous problems for a Le Gym side that could not lay a glove on them. 

They passed the ball with ease through a defence that had until that point only conceded nine goals all season, and defended with the kind of fervour that Stéphan had been clamouring to see only a month before. 

Perhaps it’s too early to tell, but this match felt like a turning point for Rennes. Not because it was their third victory in a row, nor because of who they won against, but due to the cohesion of their performance. The manager was clearly impressed by his team, ‘I’d say it was an intelligent, well-constructed and ambitious game.’ 

And he was right. More of those performances and we may get closer to the promise that has been hidden beneath this Rennes side for far too long.

GFFN | Nick Hartland