Steven Nzonzi was unequivocal on the subject. His future no longer passed through Galatasaray (Turkish L1), where he was dismissed by coach Fatih Terim. He put his actions in harmony with his words by choosing to join Rennes, in the form of a loan until the end of the season. This information, revealed by Foot Mercato and which we are able to confirm, should be formalized in the coming hours. "Steven said yes to Rennes due, in particular, to the exciting sporting challenge which is proposed to him," explains a person familiar with the matter, with reference to the current classification of the Breton club 3rd in Ligue 1.
The player, who will discover Ligue 1, has clearly made a sporting choice. If he wants to keep a small chance of being among the 23 players selected for Euro 2020, Nzonzi, like Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), must, indeed, recover playing time. In Rennes, at within a candidate club for the Champions League, he will be offered this opportunity.
The experience asset
Even if he continued to train with Galatasaray, he will now have to find the rhythm of the competition. Its 15th and last match, all competitions combined, with the Istanbul club dates back to December 11, 2019 against PSG during the sixth group day of the Champions League. (5-0).
Several clubs had recently expressed a more or less pronounced interest in the native of Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine), 31 years old, still under contract with AS Roma. Among these formations were, in addition to Rennes, Celta Vigo and West Ham.
For its part, the Rennes club was looking to increase its interplay. Julien Stéphan, the coach, was very clear on the subject. “In the midfield today there are very few solutions with injuries, observes the Breton technician. Then we also have a group that is young. If we can recover experienced players who bring us added value, we should not miss it. "