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Rennes win €15m race to sign Sulemana amid Man Utd and Ajax interest
The 19-year-old winger, who has been compared to Neymar, will head to France for his next career move
Rennes have won the race to sign highly-regarded Ghanian midfielder Kamaldeen Sulemana, who had previously been linked to Manchester United and Ajax.
The French side will pay a reported €15m (£13m/$18m) fee plus add ons to FC Nordsaelland to sign Sulemana, who has drawn comparisons with Neymar despite being only 19.
Sulemana has signed a five-year deal, becoming the fourth player from Ghana to represent Rennes as he follows the likes of John Mensah, Asamoah Gyan and John Boye.
What was said?
“I am very happy to join Stade Rennais FC, a very good French club," Sulemana said. "The project meets my expectations. The Ligue 1 Uber Eats is one of the best leagues in Europe.
"There is a very good team in Rennes, a lot of talent. I know the club is famous for its training. For a young player like me, it is the best choice to progress.
"I have come to help the team achieve their goals. It is a great challenge to take up."
Rennes technical director Florian Maurice, meanwhile, was quick to heap praise on the 19-year-old winger while confirming competition from Ajax and Premier League clubs.
“We wanted to strengthen our attack. He is a player capable of evolving both on the sides but also in the axis. He scores goals and knows how to make the last pass," Maurice said. "He has enormous qualities, he has speed and percussion. He can make differences.
"It was important for us to bring an additional offensive weapon to the team. This is good news for the club. He is a great recruit because he is a player who was in demand. We managed to do what was necessary to attract him to Rennes, which at the beginning was not necessarily something obvious.
"We were in competition with clubs like Ajax and others in the Premier League. We show that we are able to attract players of this standing. It is a satisfaction for the whole club."
Sulemana's career so far
After originally emerging from the Right to Dream academy in Ghana, Sulemana joined Nordsaelland in January 2020.
He made his debut a few weeks later, scoring four goals in 13 appearances to mark his first half-season in Denmark.
Handed the No. 10 shirt ahead of the 2020-21 season, Sulemana scored 10 goals in 27 games last season, including a run that included five in five.
He was rewarded with his first Ghana call-up last September and has earned two caps for the Black Stars.
