RENNES, France (AP) — Goalkeeper Brice Samba is joining Rennes from French league rival Lens, the Brittany club said Wednesday.
Rennes said Samba, who is France's second-choice goalkeeper behind Mike Maignan, signed until 2029. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 30-year-old Samba could make his league debut with Rennes this weekend against Marseille, his former club.
Samba joined Lens in 2022 after helping Nottingham Forest gain promotion to the Premier League, and made 96 appearances for the northern club.
He will be replaced at Lens by Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez, who has been loaned by Marseille until the end of the season with an option to make the move permanent.
The 30-year-old Lopez was loaned to Spanish side Girona at the start of the season but made just one appearance in the Spanish Cup. He is set to become No. 1 at Lens in place of Burkina Faso 'keeper Hervé Koffi, who has played the last two games for Lens — including the French Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on penalty kicks.
Rennes is 13th after 16 rounds of games in the French league, already lagging 23 points behind leader PSG.
“I want to be as decisive as possible, that’s what got me into the French national team and I hope to continue in that vein,” Samba said.
Samba has played three matches with France.
Samba is the second significant signing by recently hired Rennes coach Jorge Sampaoli — and the second who played for Lens — after Ivory Coast midfielder Seko Fofana joined earlier this month until 2029 following a brief spell in Saudi Arabia.
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