French media disclosed that Ligue 1 powerhouse Rennes is actively engaged in the battle for Beijing Guoan striker Bakambu. It is worth mentioning that the head coach of Rennes is the former coach of Guoan, Genesio, which makes Rennes confident of signing the Democratic Republic of Congo star.
It is reported that whenever the transfer window opens, Bakambu is frequently mentioned by top European clubs. With his contract with Guoan coming to an end, Bakambu's future seems to be a return to Europe, and France seems to be his ideal home.
Not to be outdone, Bakambu is highly unlikely to renew his contract with Guoan and will leave the Chinese Super League as a free agent once it expires at the end of the year. Previously coveted by Villarreal, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio and Roma, Rennes have now joined the fray. Rennes have asked Bakambu about a possible return to Ligue 1.
One of the initial reasons for Rennes to sign Bakambu is that Senegalese striker Niang is about to leave the team and the team urgently needs to bring in a strong striker; secondly, Rennes head coach Genesio has coached at Beijing Guoan and has a close relationship with Bakambu.
However, the French media pointed out that Bakambu's annual salary at Guoan is as high as 18.5 million euros, a figure that far exceeds the average salary of existing players in the Rennes team.Bakambu, who joined Guoan in January 2018 with a 40 million euro transfer, has so far appeared in 78 games for the team, contributing 55 goals and 21 assists. (Cheo Oyu)
