Rennes make Albert Gronbaek call as Southampton fans given clarity on £12.7m deal

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Rennes midfielder Albert Gronbaek could barely conceal his excitement, despite Southampton limping along at the bottom of the Premier League, as he sealed a January switch to St Mary’s.

And while relegation already felt inevitable at that point – Russell Martin was fired the previous month – the Denmark international insisted that this was a transfer made with the ‘long term’ in mind.

Southampton remain as committed as ever to making St Mary’s the place to be for budding talents with considerable potential, as emphasised by the £3.5 million deal which meant Germany Under-21 international Joshua Quarshie became the first signing of the Will Still era on the South Coast.

As for Albert Gronbaek, 23 years of age when he put pen to paper on an initial loan deal during the winter window, the chance to follow in the footsteps of Dusan Tadic, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and more was one he simply could not turn down.

Albert Gronbaek’s Southampton loan from Rennes did not go to plan

Southampton may have been in the midst of a miserable, historic-for-all-the-wrong-reasons campaign. But their reputation as elite developers of young talent cut through.

“It feels absolutely fantastic. It’s a really, really good opportunity for me to play in the world’s best league,” Gronbaek said, that short-term arrangement backed up by a £12.7 million option-to-buy clause.

“Hopefully it will be long term. I think Southampton is an insanely exciting club and I could see myself in it from the first time they called me. It’s a really good match.”

All that early optimism, however, quickly dissipated.

Gronbaek knew what he was getting himself into, of course. The Saints were already well adrift of safety with a grand total of six points to their name by late-January.

But after an impressive beginning – Gronbaek made his full debut in one of Southampton’s two Premier League victories, the 2-1 win at Ipswich Town – a season-ending tendon injury meant this was as good as it was ever going to get for him in a red and white jersey.

Southampton have still not officially confirmed their eventual decision on Gronbaek’s future. But with that 15 million euro clause un-triggered, and with reports suggesting that Rennes are planning to reintegrate the former Bodo/Glimt man this summer, confirmation that he will not be staying this side of the Channel is probably unnecessary.

Ligue 1 outfit Rennes plan to welcome Gronbaek back this summer

Ouest France claim that the Ligue 1 outfit want Gronbaek to start pre-season training later this month alongside Fabian Rieder, who returns from a loan spell of his own in Germany with VFB Stuttgart.

Ivan Juric, during his brief and disastrous spell at the helm, justified Gronbaek’s lack of involvement by talking up the importance of Kamaldeen Sulemana and Tyler Dibling. Two of the very few players to emerge from the wreckage of a campaign unscathed.

Dibling could even earn Southampton a colossal fee should the teenager move on to Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, or another of his Premier League suitors.

“He can play more but, if I put Dibling and Sulemana [in the team], then I cannot put him in,” Juric told the Daily Echo of the versatile Gronbaek, who also found himself behind Matheus Fernandes in the Southampton pecking order.

“I want a fresh guy, a young guy, with strong legs that can do it.”

In terms of potential incomings, Southampton are expected to bid for Lucas Cepeda, the Chile international pulling up trees with Colo/Colo.

Adnane Abid is staying in Belgium with Standard Liege, however, after being watched by the Saints in May.