Maxime Lopez has grown up a lot. A pure product of the Olympique de Marseille training center, Minot learned his classes there before taking off in 2020, after 150 matches played with the pros (5 goals). A departure that the Marseille native recently returned to during an interview with Media Square. “Before my last season with OM, I decided to extend for another year so that the club could receive compensation. It’s my favorite club… I couldn’t see myself leaving and the club not getting any money. We’re not going to lie to each other. There is so much money today, players know that when they are free, the money that should go to the club will go into their pocket. At that time, I wasn’t interested.”
A rather rare attitude in modern football, where players tend to go free to collect a big signing bonus. Maxime Lopez listened to his heart. What he also did when joining Sassuolo. There, the midfielder born in 97 continued his progress and discovered Italian tactical and defensive rigor. After two and a half years, the former OM player was very close to joining Brighton during the 2023 winter transfer window. Ultimately, due to a lack of agreement between the two clubs, he stayed behind to finish his season with the green and black club. But when the summer transfer window came, the Frenchman’s desires for elsewhere returned.
A new beginning in Florence
Followed by Inter Milan or even Naples according to the Italian press, he finally took another direction. After 101 meetings with Sassuolo (4 goals, 2 assists), he joined Fiorentina in the form of a loan with a purchase option. La Viola, who wanted to compensate for the departure of Sofyan Amrabat to Manchester United (loan), notably bet on Arthur and him. Despite everything, his arrival was unexpected for Cédric Canale, a journalist specializing in Italian football contacted by us. “Maxime Lopez arrived in the last hours of the summer transfer window at Fiorentina. A surprising move, even if in August his name was associated with several teams, notably in Italy.
He pursues : “In Sassuolo, the 26-year-old Frenchman was a basic element, the team’s regista as they say in Italy. The game passed through him, whether in a 2 or 3 midfielder, he was always the starter. In 3 seasons, he gained credibility in Italy. And his departure, combined with that of Frattesi at Inter, has in fact created big problems for Sassuolo, currently 19th in the championship. For his part, the Frenchman continued his merry way in Florence. After two matches as a starter, the 26-year-old was sent off against Napoli on August 27. Then, he alternated between starts and appearances. This season, he participated in 23 matches in all competitions, but only 13 as a starter.
The environment is not unanimous
Author of a goal, Maxime Lopez also scored the last penalty during the penalty shootout against Bologna in the Italian Cup on January 9. But beyond the figures, the player’s performances are not necessarily unanimous on the other side of the Alps. Lopez, who has not established himself as an indisputable holder, even disappoints certain media like the site fiorentina.news which follows the news of the Viola on a daily basis. “Do you miss Arthur? There is Maxime Lopez. This was the reasoning of many, if not all, when Fiorentina signed the former Sassuolo player in the final days of the summer transfer window.
Then, the media clarified: “that the Brazilian could have physical problems was predictable, that is why Lopez could represent a good solution to guarantee quality even in his absence. But it didn’t happen that way at all. Maxime Lopez’s performances were in fact insufficient, or rather anonymous. (…) With the exception of the good performance with a goal against Cukaricki, a decidedly mediocre team, the former Sassuolo midfielder never stood out. (…) Maxime Lopez was not a phenomenon, but as Arthur’s replacement, he was an operation that could have been there. But the field said something else”. Quite harsh words for the player, who alternated between the good and the less good.
A future to settle
Cédric Canale is more of this opinion. “His season is very mixed. His integration into Vincenzo Italiano’s highly codified game was not easy. His coach uses him especially in cups (Europa Conference League and Italian Cup). On the other hand, he only has 3 starts in Serie A. He is Arthur’s replacement. The Brazilian midfielder is highly appreciated by Italiano for his ability to dictate the pace and Lopez finds little space within the 4-2-3-1. Even when Arthur had physical problems, the Frenchman did not stand out in Serie A. During his 3rd and so far last start (the only Serie A match played in full with Fiorentina, editor’s note), he lost a ball in added time at Lecce which resulted in the 3-2 defeat. And behind, he found his place on the bench.
And to make matters worse, the future of the Frenchman, who is on loan in Florence, is not assured. It’s not the only one, by the way. But the Italian press believes that there is a chance that the Viola will not continue the adventure with him after the end of the season. Especially since Manchester United does not intend to keep Sofyan Amrabat, who will therefore return this summer. On this point, Cédric Canale confides to us: “he arrived on loan with an option to buy (which would be 9 million euros). Thanks to the cuts, Lopez should still have opportunities to play and turn things around. But today, a purchase from Fiorentina seems unlikely. The echoes circulating in the Italian press are more towards a return to Sassuolo, where he has a contract until June 2025.. Despite everything, Maxime Lopez still has a few opportunities to show his talent in the jersey of the Italian club. This evening, the midfielder, who was a substitute in the last 3 matches, is expected to start in the Europa Conference League match against Maccabi Haifa. It’s up to him!
