Togo's international forward Serge Gakpe is to join Italian club Genoa on a four-year deal from French outfit Nantes at the end of the season, the player said on Wednesday.

"I'll be there (Genoa) for the new season. I signed a three-year deal with an added year as an option yesterday (Tuesday)," the 27-year-old striker said.

Gakpe, who was on the Togo team bus that was machine-gunned by separatists at the Angola 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, said he was moving on a free transfer.

He joined Nantes from Monaco after a long injury that almost ended his career and helped Nantes not only win promotion to the top-flight but to consolidate their position as a top-half team in Ligue 1.

The striker who helped Togo to the quarter-finals of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, has scored just twice for Nantes in 23 games this season, albeit often from midfield.

"I've got four months left here (at Nantes), so I'm not bailing out on my teammates. It's been a wonderful adventure, but now I have a chance of a new one at Genoa."