Ismaïla SARR

On the 26th July 2017, Stade Rennais signed up Ismaïla Sarr from Metz, beating off the competition from Lille, Monaco and Dortmund for his signature for 17 Million Euros. The Senegalese striker became the second-most expensive signing for the club after Severino Lucas (22 Million Euros). He had completed his apprenticeship at Académie Génération Foot in Senegal, and was brought in to give Rennes attack some much-needed punch after the clubs strikers had put in an uninspiring performance in the 2016/2017 season. After a timid debut season, which was spoilt by long injury following an awful tackle for former Rennes defender Kévin Théophile-Catherine, who was playing at Saint-Etienne, Ismaïla Sarr came back with a bang in the first part of the 2018/2019 season with three goals scored in the Europa League campaign, one of which came against Arsenal, and so many times where he tormented the opposition defences with his impressive pace. Three-and-a-half months after picking up the French Cup, he joined Watford on 8th August 2019 for a transfer fee of 30 Million Euros + 5.5 Million Euros in bonuses. That made him the most expensive sale in the history of the club, if you exclude the percentage of sell-on fees connected to the departure of Ousmane Dembélé in 2016.