RC Lens is on the verge of completing the arrival of Franjo Ivanovic on loan for a season. The Croatian striker from Benfica received authorization to join France in order to undergo his medical examination and physical tests before officially signing with the Sang et Or. The Artesian club thus gained the upper hand over Lazio, who had nevertheless reached an agreement with Benfica to welcome the player under the same conditions. An outcome confirmed by Gennaro Gattuso, who recognized that the Italian club had missed a great opportunity. “I’m going to be honest with you, straight up. The club did everything to recruit Ivanovic, we had the agreement from Benfica and I then spoke with the player. He decided to go to Lens, he wants to play in the Champions League. What could we do? Maybe we should have talked to him sooner.”explained the Italian coach to the press. A statement which allows us to understand how Lens managed to reverse the trend in this matter.
While Lazio thought they had all the cards in hand after their agreement with Benfica, Ivanovic ultimately favored the Lensois project and the prospect of competing in the most prestigious European competition. Arriving at Benfica last summer from Union Saint-Gilloise for 22.8 million euros, Ivanovic remains a major investment for the Portuguese club. Under contract until June 2030, the attacker has a release clause set at 100 million euros. His departure to Lens should, however, take the form of a one-season loan, without a purchase option. For the Sang et Or, this arrival therefore represents a significant offensive reinforcement, but also a nice coup achieved thanks to the argument of the Champions League. The player should now quickly complete the last steps before officially becoming Lensois.
