Rennes officially announced on Monday that French midfielder Valentin Longier has joined from Marseille. The two sides signed a three-year contract, which is valid until June 30, 2028.

According to L'Equipe, the transfer fee is 5.5 million euros.

The 30-year-old Valentin Longier mainly plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also play as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder, right back, etc. He came from the Nantes youth training and made his professional debut in the 10th round of Ligue 1 on October 18, 2014.

Longier has since made 135 appearances for Nantes, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists. He has played for Marseille since September 2019, making 196 appearances so far, contributing 6 goals and 11 assists.

Regarding Longier's arrival, Rennes' executive chairman and general manager Arnaud Pouille explained: "Valentin is a very important signing. Valentin is a very important signing for us. He has established his leadership position in the French Ligue 1 in the past decade, needless to say. We are very happy that he can join Rennes and look forward to him fully demonstrating his abilities here."

After the transfer was completed, Longier said: "Today is a very fulfilling day and an extremely wonderful experience. Frankly speaking, Rennes is really great. The club's infrastructure is very complete and very suitable for training. I am sure that what I have seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is enough to impress me - of course, in a good way."

Longier later added that the transfer was a "well-considered decision": "I think Rennes is an extremely attractive team. For me, it is particularly important to join a team that is ambitious and eager to return to the European war as soon as possible. I have had many in-depth discussions with the coach, the sporting director and the club's president, hoping to really understand their vision and evaluate whether it is in line with my personal career plan. In the end, I think everyone's ideas are highly consistent and their attitudes also inspire me. I came here to compete and to win."

"I spent six years at Marseille but I felt it was time to step out of my comfort zone. Rennes offers me a new environment and an ambitious stage, which is what I love. So I'm very happy. I don't see it as a step back, but a different challenge."