Valencia announced on its official website Thursday that the club has signed French defensive midfielder Baptiste Santamaria from Rennes.

According to the La Liga club's official statement, Santamaria has signed on a short-term two-year deal with the club which will only run until the summer of 2027. His release clause, as per La Liga regulations, is set at €45 million.

After completing his joining procedures, Santamaria who was interviewed by the Valencia official website for the first time, said, "I'm very happy to be here. This is a fantastic opportunity for me. Valencia is a great club with a great history. This is incredible for me, and I've always wanted to play here."

"I can bring my experience from French football and the Bundesliga to work alongside young players and help the club achieve its goals."

About Baptiste Santamaria

Baptiste Santamaria, 30, was born on March 9, 1995, in Saint-Doulchard, France. He is 1.83 meters tall and plays as a defensive midfielder. His father, Marc, is also a former professional footballer who played as a defender.

As a child, Santamaria played in the youth academy of Bourges, his father's former club as a player. He joined Tours in 2011 and completed his Tours first-team debut by coming on as a substitute in October 2013.

In June 2016, Santamaria joined Angers for €400,000.

During his four-year spell at Angers, Santamaria helped the club avoid relegation.

In September 2020, Santamaria joined Freiburg for €10 million.

The following August, Santamaria joined Rennes for €14 million. He also spent time on-loan at Nice in January of this year.

During his four-and-a-half-year spell with Les Rouge et Noirs, Santamaria made 127 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 powerhouse, scoring four goals and providing six assists. During which he reached the Coupe de France semi-finals once with the club.