Chelsea and Strasbourg interested in Rennes’ Matthis Abline | OneFootball

According to a report from Le Parisien, Chelsea and RC Strasbourg Alsace, both owned by BlueCo as of last summer, are showing an interest in Stade Rennais forward Matthis Abline (21).

France youth international Abline spent a successful loan spell at FC Nantes last season. He found rhythm towards the end of the campaign, especially under Antoine Kombouaré, netting four goals in his final seven Ligue 1 games. As a result, Les Canaris decided to trigger the €6m purchase option included in his deal, however, as they did so, Rennes then paid an extra €2m to bring Abline back to Roazhon Park.

Whilst Rennes don’t necessarily want to keep Abline, they do want to sell him on for a larger profit, something they feel capable of doing given his end-of-season form. Whilst a new €8m offer from Nantes has been rejected by Rennes, Strasbourg, through their BlueCo owners, are also showing interest.

The Chelsea-Strasbourg interest in the Rennes forward is being driven by Loïc Désiré and Patrick Vieira. Given the ownership situation, Les Alscaiens do have the means to pull off a potential deal.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle