Mikayil Faye: Senegal defender at Stade Rennais linked with move to Nuremberg in 2. Bundesliga switch

Senegal centre-back Mikayil Faye of Stade Rennais is being linked with a move to German side 1.FC Nuremberg as the 2. Bundesliga club explore defensive reinforcements ahead of the new season. The 22-year-old left-footed defender is under contract with the Ligue 1 outfit until June 2028, meaning Nuremberg would almost certainly need to negotiate a fee to prise him away.

Faye returned to Rennes this summer after spending the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Italian club Cremonese, with that spell formally ending on 30 June. His stock has dipped from a previous high, with his current market value standing at around €4.5m, potentially making him a more attainable target for a club outside Europe’s top five leagues.

Rennes signed Faye from Barcelona in August 2024 in a deal worth €10.3m, having first been promoted from Barca Atletic earlier that summer. Since arriving in France, he has made a handful of Ligue 1 appearances, totalling 696 minutes, as he adapts to the demands of the French top flight and competition for places in the Brittany club’s back line.

Born in Sedhiou in July 2004, Faye has already experienced a varied career across Spain, Croatia, Italy and France, including regular league football earlier in his development. Any move to Nuremberg would add Germany to that list and offer a fresh environment as he looks to establish himself more consistently in senior football.

For now, Rennes retain control over Faye’s future, with two years remaining on his deal and no release clause publicly indicated, leaving Nuremberg to test the French club’s resolve if they decide to push ahead with a formal bid.