Official | Rennes sign Belgian defender Arthur Theate | OneFootball

Rennes have this morning unveiled the signing of Belgian international defender Arthur Theate from Bologna on a permanent deal, with the 22-year-old signing a four-year contract with the Breton club.

As initially broken by journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the centre-back has joined on a fee of €20m along with a potential €2m in add-ons, with the Serie A side having initially rejected an offer worth €18m with bonuses included.

Theate leaves Italy after one season with the Emilia-Romagna club, having initially joined from Oostende on loan before his move was made permanent at the end of last season.

Les Rouge et Noir had been looking to bring in a centre-back for much of the summer to replace Nayef Aguerd after the Moroccan’s move to West Ham, but had seen Napoli beat them to the South Korean Kim Min-jae while fitness concerns halted a move for Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti. They also look set to bring in a second defender, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Joe Rodon reportedly closing in on a loan move with talks at an advanced stage.