The Lyon attack is in the middle of summer construction. With the return of Endrick to Real Madrid, the Rhone management finds itself obliged to recruit strong reinforcement to support the talented Rémi Himbert at the forefront of the attack. Matthieu Louis-Jean first explored several avenues across the Channel. The profiles of Youssef Chermiti (Rangers) and Claudio Braga (Heart of Midlothian) have been studied closely, but these two files, considered particularly complex, today have very little chance of success. Faced with this observation, Olympique Lyonnais decided to sniff out a good deal by targeting an old acquaintance from Ligue 1: Loïs Openda.
The profile of the Belgian international (33 caps) obviously has something to appeal, even if his rating has taken a serious hit in recent months. After literally exploding at Lens during the 2022-2023 season (21 goals) and confirming his status as a serial scorer at RB Leipzig (41 goals and 18 assists in 93 games), the 26-year-old striker is coming out of a catastrophic year at Juventus. Loaned to the Old Lady last year with a compulsory purchase option of €42.5 million, Openda only found the net twice in 34 matches. A dizzying misfortune which even blocked his path to the 2026 World Cup.
OL very hot on Openda
Today, the Piedmontese club no longer counts on him and is actively seeking to sell him on loan, with the hope that he will recover and regain value on the market. This contractual situation logically attracts envy. RC Lens has already been at it for a while. Jean-Louis Leca is pushing to bring him back to Bollaert, offering a familiar setting and the opportunity to compete in the Champions League. But the Artesian club faces a major obstacle: the astronomical salary of the player, linked to Juve until 2030, which is totally incompatible with the Lensoise salary scale without a helping hand from the Italian club.
It is precisely on this point that OL intends to make the difference. Having slightly more room for maneuver than the northern club to absorb the striker’s fees, the Rhone board, which must play in the Champions League play-offs at the beginning of August, firmly believes in its chances. If the financial aspect leans in favor of Lyon, Matthieu Louis-Jean will still have to be extremely persuasive. Between the player’s emotional attachment to RC Lens and competition from other aggressive European teams on the file (like Coventry, also in discussions with Juventus), the battle promises to be tough. The next few days will be decisive in this breathtaking crossover.
