As we enter the final week of the transfer window, Saint Etienne are still looking to sign a striker after the loss of Pierre Emerick Aubameyang to Borussia Dortmund. Get French Football News announced yesterday that Rennes’ striker Mevlut Erding has agreed a contract with Les Verts yesterday. L’Equipe now announce today that an offer from Saint Etienne will be submitted to Rennes in the next 24 hours. Rennes are understood to have labelled a €5m price tag on their veteran forward and it is thought that Saint Etienne do not want to pay that much.
However, it will be a test of nerve for both clubs depending on how late they leave this deal to potentially occur. Rennes must sell before they can buy, with Pablo Piatti the player they would most like to bring in (despite the fact that the player himself wants to stay at Valencia). Should Saint Etienne submit a low ball offer for Mevlut Erding and Rennes believe they have no time to negotiate further then they may be forced to accept an offer in the region of €3m.
Yet, one can make a strong case for the likelihood of Saint Etienne getting desperate and giving in to the demands of their Ligue 1 rivals. Although they would be overpaying for Erding if they spent €5m, they are running out of time to secure a centre forward before the window shuts next Tuesday.
Other current targets include Modibo Maiga, but we revealed that a hefty loan fee is what is holding up the player’s potential move from Premier League side West Ham.
More on this as we get it, but a deal could be concluded shortly, depending on which side decides to give in first.
