Departing for Rennes, the former Friborg player is the Greens' priority target to strengthen themselves in midfield.
Since he arrived in Rennes, in 2021, from Fribourg, Baptiste Santamaria has gone from key player, holder, substitute, then holder, then substitute… Today, the 29-year-old player trained in Tours is going through a period complicated, with only 5 starts since the start of the season (with 11 appearances).
The arrival of Jorge Sampaoli did not help matters, with 5 minutes of play in the four matches under the Argentinian's orders, including only one minute in Ligue 1. The defensive midfielder played for the U20s at the Blues have understood this: he is not part of the plans of Julien Stephan's successor. Saint-Etienne has also understood this and is trying to bring it back to Forez. His experience and his state of mind have placed him at the top of the list in the sights of the Greens who are looking to strengthen themselves in this position.
A loan with purchase option?
The only small problem is the player's salary in Rennes (around 180,000 euros per month). However, according to our information, the Bretons, who want to downsize to recruit “Sampaoli compatible” players, are inclined to do everything to find an arrangement. It could be a loan with a purchase option, with a third of the salary assumed by Rennes until June 30.
Valued at 7 million euros by the specialized site Transfer marketBaptiste Santamaria is under contract until 2026 with Stade Rennais. The possibility of putting a maintenance bonus into the operation is also mentioned.
Related News :