Matthis ABLINE

Born in Angers, and a product of the class of 2003, Abline obtained his first club licence in 2009 with FC2L Laurentais Landemont in the Maine et Loire region. This right-footed centre-forward went on to play 5 seasons there, during which he was permanently playing in the age group above at youth level. In 2014, he left to join USJA Carquefou, where he would spend 2 years before integrating the U21s of Saint Sébastien sur Loire between 2016 and 2018. He had been scouted by Stade Rennais for some time since he took part in a regional U11 tournament, and this natural-born goalscorer joined the Red and Blacks Academy set-up in 2018. Part of a sporting family, he soon made an impression at Rennes, notably in 2019 with the U17 side, scoring 10 goals, and setting up numerous others. He was awarded 9 caps for the French U16s, scoring 4 goals in the process, and he would represent Rennes in the UEFA Youth League with Stade Rennais' U19. In December 2020, he signed his first professional contract with Rennes, which will come into effect on 1st July 2021 for three years. He made his professional debut at the end of a 5-1 victory against Dijon on 25th April 2021, and scored his first goal as a pro against Rosenborg in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off in Norway on 26th August of the same year. On 21st January 2022, he signed a contract extension, and was loaned out to Le Havre for the rest of the season. After scoring two goals for Rennes against Larnaca and Auxerre in Autumn 2022, he would go back out on loan, this time for 6 months without a buyout clause to Auxerre, on 1st January 2023. Upon his return from Burgundy, he rejoined the professional group for the pre-season campaign ahead of the 2023/2024 season, but looking for more gametime, and faced with stern competition for places in the Rennes attack, he opted for a new loan-spell, this time with neighbours Nantes, for whom he signed on 25th August 2023, with a buyout-clause estimated at 6 Million Euros. Stade Rennais did, however, insert a 2 Million Euro buyback clause, should they subsequently decide to oppose the buyout by Nantes, and they activated this clause on 24th May 2024 to bring the striker back to Rennes after he netted five times during his loan spell with Nantes. On 30th June, FC Nantes raised it off to 10 Million Euros, with upto 2 Euros in bonuses to acquire Abline on a permanent basis from the club who developed him.