Stade Rennes is probably starting to court Mangala – Union’s Tousart alternative candidate

Offer sent to Forest

Another club has apparently joined the race for Orel Mangala. “Sky” and “L’Equipe“ report that FC Stade Rennes has the central midfielder from Nottingham Forest on their list and is said to have already made an offer for the 25-year-old. The former Stuttgart and Hamburg player had previously been more or less specifically linked to Galatasaray as well as the Serie A clubs Juventus Turin and SSC Napoli (to the TM rumor mill).

It is said that Rennes is offering a six-month loan with a purchase commitment of around 25 million euros including additional payments. This means that Mangala, whose contract runs until 2026, could become the second most expensive sale in Nottingham’s club history in the future and become the third most expensive purchase at Stade Rennes. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis says this sum is not enough and is demanding more.

Rennes are looking for a replacement for the very likely departure of Nemanja Matic. In addition to Mangala, according to the French sports daily, Pierre Lees-Melou (Stade Brest), Azor Matusiwa (Stade Reims), Artem Bondarenko (Shakhtar Donetsk) and Union Berlin’s Lucas Tousart are also on a shortlist. The 26-year-old Frenchman moved from Hertha BSC to Köpenick last summer, but is mostly just a supplementary player. He has been in the starting line-up six times out of 13 games so far.

Mangala moved to Nottingham for 13 million euros in 2022 after 109 appearances for Stuttgart, and he has made 49 appearances since then. In terms of market value – Mangala is at 22 million euros after several increases – only four professionals in the Reds squad are valued higher. Benjamin Littlemore, UK Content Manager at Transfermarkt, said of the Belgium international: “Despite having to compete with the likes of Danilo and Ibrahim Sangaré, Mangala has been the standout player in Nottingham’s midfield this season. His aggressive tackling and ball-winning ability have been fundamental to Forest and the Belgian’s ability to pivot in tight spaces and pass to initiate counter-attacks has made him a highly sought-after defensive midfielder. As Forest have to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, they may have to take money. Considering how expensive defensive midfielders have been in recent years, Mangala could be a real bargain.”

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