2023 was a pivotal summer for Olympique Lyonnais. Passing the baton between historic president Jean-Michel Aulas and his successor Jean-Michel Aulas, the transfer window was particular with the DNCG which restricted the scope of action of the Olympians. Second biggest summer transfer, Skelly Alvero arrived for 4 million euros from Sochaux where he was coming off a promising season. At Les Gones, his arrival will take place in a context where the club will fight to maintain its position for a long time before the arrival of Pierre Sage on the bench and some winter reinforcements make it possible to reach a sixth place. “It’s my first season at the club, I’m playing, I’ve scored. It’s still complicated to have your head up all the time. It’s part of my experience. For a player of my generation, to arrive at a club and from the first season, to play for maintenance. It’s complicated, but it will make us stronger, it will make me stronger”then blurted out the former Lion Cub.
,But Skelly Alvero will not be part of this remounted mission. After six months, eight matches and a small goal with OL, the midfielder will be sent on loan to Werder Bremen. Coming out of a complicated context with the Rhone to join a club and a championship which seemed interesting for his development Skelly Alvero will play less in Germany with six small appearances and a goal in the second part of the season. Enough to make the Werderaner doubt his purchase option of 6.25 million euros. Finally, an agreement was reached for the purchase option to be exercised at 4.75 million euros with a 1.5 million euro bonus, potentially the same amount as initially. Now far from Olympique Lyonnais, Skelly Alvero has not taken off as expected. Playing 12 matches until February 2025, the native of Stains will not leave his substitute status. Worse, he will not play since February 7, 2025 and a 3-0 defeat against Bayern Munich.
Skelly Alvero relegated to Ligue 3 and now to German D4
His coach at the time Peter Niemeyer sounded the alarm to Bild : “Skelly has made a few brief appearances over the past few weeks, but unfortunately hasn’t been able to focus on much. He is currently carrying a very heavy weight on his shoulders, his head is not free. As a result, Skelly does not reach its performance limit. I want him to press the “reset” button and become relaxed again. He must become the old Skelly he was before the summer.” No longer wearing the first team jersey, he will have two more appearances in the 2025/2026 season before Werder Bremen sends him out on loan. Then head to Ligue 2, a championship where he revealed himself with the objective of saving Amiens. And everything started well. Starting against Clermont in a 4-3 victory where he delivered an assist, he would then become disillusioned with his club.
It’s simple, in the 12 matches that followed, Amiens did not win any with two draws and ten defeats, which led to its relegation as the bottom of the championship. For Skelly Alvero it was also complicated. Although he started the first five matches, he was sent off against Boulogne and would then lose his place for the end of the season. Substitute and relegated to Ligue 3, Skelly Alvero had not yet hit rock bottom. Returning this summer to Werder Bremen since his contract runs until June 2028, he did not leave this summer, due to a lack of suitors. Sidelined like Dawid Kownacki (29) who has since terminated his contract, he represents a significant financial burden for Werder Bremen. “The Frenchman (under contract until 2028) has become a scandalously expensive financial pit” also wrote Bild. The German player went even further by explaining why he was sent to reserve: “because he’s just not good enough for the first team.”
Helmed by Youri Regeer (23 years old), Ludovit Reis (26 years old) and Senne Lynen (27 years old), he does not really have a future with Werder Bremen, but at the same time the German club cannot terminate him unlike Dawid Kownacki because the compensation would be too substantial. Sports director Clemens Fritz explained the situation to DeichStube : “termination of contract is out of the question. Skelly still has the opportunity to prove himself with us. He must raise his level of play now and make himself available. We will then be pleasantly surprised. Skelly doesn’t give up. The fact that he finds playing time with the U23 team is at his request. That’s a good sign.» Currently playing two matches with the reserve (one assist), Skelly Alvero finds himself in the German fourth division and is blocked at least until the winter transfer window. A pretty terrible situation for the man who was Lyon’s 2nd biggest transfer in the summer of 2023.
