Frankfurt, Aug 18 : Arthur Theate has joined Eintracht Frankfurt from Rennes. The central defender is initially on loan until the end of the current season, and Frankfurt will have an option to buy the player upon the end of his loan.

The Belgian international was born in Liege, Belgium in 2000 and began his career in the youth ranks of the traditional club Standard and KRC Genk. At 20, he made his professional debut with the then Belgian first division club KV Oostende and immediately became a regular player.

'I had heard a lot of good things about Eintracht, the stadium and the fans. During the European Championships, I got a taste of the atmosphere here with Belgium. Finally, I was convinced by the discussions with those responsible around Markus Krosche. It is inspiring what the club has achieved in recent years and the ways in which it has celebrated success. That's exactly what I want: to perform, to win titles. The fans, the stadium, the perspective ' it all fits together perfectly,' said Theate in a statement.

After 40 competitive games and five goals in the first season, Theate initially moved to Italian Serie A representative Bologna FC on loan. There, too, the central defender, who can also be used as a left defender, quickly became a top performer. Bologna finally signed him after 31 first-division games in which he recorded two goals and an assist.

In the summer of 2022, the left-footed player moved to the French first-division club Stade Rennais FC, where the 24-year-old was one of the regulars, as evidenced by 82 competitive games, eight goals and one assist in two seasons.

Theate went through all youth selections from the U15 onwards and made his debut in the A team at the age of 21. The defender played three games at this year's European Championships.

'We have been working intensively with Arthur Theate for a long time. Last season it was not economically possible to manage this transfer. We are very pleased that we were able to convince Arthur of our path. Due to his technical skills and his game intelligence, we are convinced that he will strengthen us, regardless of the system, primarily in the left center-back position and optionally in the left-back position,' said Sports director Markus Krosche.

/IANS