Wednesday evening, after the Champions League elimination against Fenerbahçe, Matthieu Louis-Jean was very clear regarding the rest of the Lyon transfer window. “We are staying the course. We had budgeted for participation in the Europa League and things will surely still happen before the end of the transfer window. We will work to be as competitive as possible in the championship and in Europe. Paulo Fonseca, who admitted that he would like the transfer market to be over already, went in the direction of his leader, well aware that the Lyonnais must sell for around €50 million to be in the lead.
“We have this need, it’s the truth, to sell players. But we are also working to bring in others to help the team. Everyone knows the difficulty and the necessity of selling.” Several departures are expected. Malick Fofana, who is being courted by several clubs, has a good chance of leaving the ship. He is not the only one. Elements like Pavel Sulc, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ruben Kluivert, Tanner Tessmann and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are also cited. As for arrivals, we revealed to you yesterday that the profile of Keito Nakamura (Stade de Reims) pleases internally in the event of Fofana’s departure.
Fofana arrives in Lyon
In the midfield, a new name came out of the hat this Monday morning. Journalists Gianluca Di Marzio and Matteo Moretto have revealed that Youssouf Fofana is very close to joining the residents of Groupama Stadium in the form of a loan. There Gazzetta dello Sport evokes a loan with purchase option for the player who was also courted by LOSC. Information that we can confirm to you. According to our information, an agreement has almost been reached between AC Milan and OL. A club where the French international will bring his experience, having played in Ligue 1 in Strasbourg and Monaco. He will also find Paulo Fonseca, whom he met with the Rossoneri.
For Lyon, this is a very interesting reinforcement for the midfield. The 27-year-old midfielder, who has not been used this season, took part in 36 matches in all competitions last year. He scored 2 goals and delivered 3 assists. But he no longer entered into the plans of the Lombards, who were looking for a way out. Galatasaray, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Villarreal and even Betis and Ipswich Town tried this summer for the footballer whose price was set between €18 and €20 million. Finally, the player under contract until 2028 will be loaned to OL, which will be a nice move.
