Stade Rennais, has exercised the option to buy John Mensah from the Italian side Chievo V?rone. The two clubs have agreed an undisclosed fee for the 23-year-old central defender, it was announced in the French press.

"The rock", as he is popularly known, should sign a three year old contract, Monday.

In January, the Ghanaian international moved to France on a six month loan, with an option to buy, while still on loan at Italian Serie B side Cremonese.

Since his arrival, it?s been uphill for the Brittany club. They transformed what had hitherto been a mundane season with a run that lifted them into third, which would earn them a place in the Champions League preliminaries. Meanwhile they also booked a spot in the Coupe de France semi-finals. Rennes won ten consecutive matches in the process.

Renne manager claimed then that "it was a collective effort and not the arrival of Mensah that changed the fortunes of the club".

This assertion was ?rubbished? when Mensah sustained a knock in the Coupe de France quarter-final victory over Montpellier and was out of the side for the next two matches.

The 10-match winning streak ended with Sunday's 2-1 loss at OGC Nice. Rennes was also knocked out of the French cup with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Marseilles.