Ligue 1 side Rennes have completed the signing of midfielder Seko Fofana from Al Nassr.
Rennes confirmed on Wednesday that Fofana had signed a four-and-a-half year deal through to 2029 after agreeing a fee with Al Nassr.
The 29-year-old Ivory Coast international joined the Saudi Pro League side for €25million (£21.5m; $28m) in the summer of 2023 after impressing as Lens captain.
Fofana made just 27 appearances for Al Nassr before joining their Saudi Pro League rivals Al Ettifaq on loan in January 2024. He scored twice in 29 matches for Al Ettifaq.
“I’m very happy to be joining Stade Rennais and starting 2025 with this new challenge,” Fofana said. “I’ve always kept a close eye on Stade Rennais, and it’s a club that I’ve met many times.
“Discussions with (managing director) Arnaud Pouille and (sporting director) Frederic Massara made all the difference. They told me about the project and the expectations. The message was strong and the decision was very simple after that.”
Before moving to Saudi, Fofana had played an integral part in Lens’ recent success, spearheading the team to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 in the 2022-23 season, where they finished just one point behind champions Paris Saint-Germain.
The central midfielder joined Lens in 2020 from Serie A side Udinese, having previously played for Manchester City and Fulham.
Rennes are 12th in Ligue 1 with 17 points from their 15 league games this season and are next in action away to Nice on January 3.
