Official | Nantes sign Matthis Abline from Rennes in club-record €12m deal | OneFootball

Nantes have officially announced the signing of Rennes centre-forward Matthis Abline (21) in a club-record €12m deal, including €2m worth of bonuses. The Angers-born striker was Les Canaris‘ priority signing of the summer transfer window after flourishing for the relegation-battling Ligue 1 side in the latter stages of the last campaign. Matthis Abline put pen to paper over a four-year deal with Nantes.

As the Ligue 1 season drew to a close, Nantes pushed to trigger Matthis Abline’s €6m release clause from Rennes to make his signing permanent but Les Rouge et Noir stood firm and initially vetoed the move, paying Nantes an extra €2m, as they hoped to make a larger profit on their academy product.

To secure the services of Matthis Abline, Nantes fended off competition from Strasbourg and had to break their transfer record. “I am very happy and above all I can’t wait to start the season and perform,” said Matthis Abline. “It’s a completely logical continuation and I’m still hungry to show what I’m capable of to continue to flourish (…) We are all committed to having a great season. I am very happy to be here.”

GFFN | Bastien Cheval