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‘I didn’t speak to Gyan but consulted Essien before joining Rennes’ – Kamaldeen Sulemana

Ghanaian teen sensation Kamaldeen Sulemana has revealed that he spoke to Michael Essien before deciding to join Stade Rennes.

‘I didn’t speak to Gyan but consulted Essien before joining Rennes’ – Kamaldeen Sulemana

Kamaldeen became the most expensive Ghanaian teenage footballer and second most expensive African teenager following his move to the French side.

The 19-year-old moved from Nordsjaelland to Rennes on Friday, July 16, 2021, in a deal that is reportedly worth €21 million (€15 million upfront and $5 million in bonuses).

A number of Ghanaian players have passed through Rennes, including Asamoah Gyan, John Mensah and John Boye.

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However, the teenager said he didn’t speak to any of the club’s former Ghanaian players before making his decision.

Rather, Kamaldeen said he held talks with Essien, who is currently a youth team coach at Nordsjaelland.

The former Chelsea midfielder managed the winger for a brief period at the Danish club and even wished him well following his move to Rennes.

“I didn’t speak to any player from Ghana who played here,” Kamaldeen told Stade Rennes TV after his unveiling.

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“The only player I spoke to is [Michael] Essien because he is a coach in FC Nordsjaelland and he’s also my neighbour, so we spoke about this league.

“And of course he played in Bastia with Florian and also played in Lyon, so I also spoke to him about the league here and how interesting it could be for my development.”

Kamaldeen was one of the most exciting players in the Danish league last season, scoring 10 goals and providing eight assists.

The former Right to Dream Academy star joins Jeremy Doku and Eduardo Camavinga as the teen sensations leading Rennes’ latest project.

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