He Olympique Lyonnais have put most of their squad on the transfer market in an attempt to reach their financial sales target before the end of the transfer window, French newspaper L’Equipe reported on Thursday. “The Lyon management has just sent a message that, from now on, almost everything will be sold, as long as someone pays the right price,” the newspaper said.
The French team aims to raise 100 million euros before the transfer window closes. L’Equipe reports that they still need €75 million to reach their goal. They spent 134 million in the last two months, more than any other club in France. In July they paid a club record €34 million to sign defender Moussa Niakhate from Nottingham Forest.
On Thursday, the seven-time Ligue 1 champions announced the transfer of French defender Mamadou Sarr to Racing Club de Strasbourg for 10 million euros. Last month, Lyon assured Ligue 1’s financial authority that it would raise 100 million euros in sales this summer, avoiding further restrictions by the league’s financial watchdog. Last December, the club raised more than 300 million euros to repay its debt.
Lyon is owned by Eagle Football Group, a Paris-listed investment holding company that also owns stakes in Brazil’s Botafogo, Belgium’s RWD Molenbeek and England’s Crystal Palace. John Textor, an American businessman who controls the group, has expressed his interest in selling his stake in Crystal Palace to acquire Everton.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
