"If I was joking, I would say that I am in Lille and that it is the big clearance sale", laughs Rudi Garcia.
But the Lyon coach laughs yellow.
Lyon is engaged in a major degreasing operation in September.
Goal?
Sell, reduce costs, payroll and… workforce.
OL had been built to play every three days for years.
But this season, a first since 1997, Lyon will not play the European Cup.
Juninho, the sports director, after a few months of observation and trial and error, begins to take the full measure of his role and his position.
He commands.
He decides.
In particular with the new director general of football at OL, Vincent Ponsot, Jean-Michel Aulas' trusted man.
“There might have been some doubts around Juni at one point.
There are no more, blows a source at the club.
He is fully committed in the medium term with OL.
"
In Lyon, Garcia does not have the same leeway as he could have at OM on recruitment.
But, that was recorded upon his arrival at the club in October 2019. “I trust my leaders to keep a competitive team, he slips.
I don't have any guarantees, but I'm not asking for any.
"
Rudi Garcia promises to adapt
In recent days, defenders Marçal (Wolverhampton), Rafael (Basaksehir) and Tete (Fulham) have left.
After the striker Gouiri (Nice) this summer.
Goalkeeper Tatarusanu (AC Milan) is expected to follow shortly.
Defender Denayer is also dredged.
Few will be replaced.
And, then, there are the strong market values.
The situation is quite surprising for a club which was still less than a month ago in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The best players of the club, Aouar, Memphis Depay, Dembélé, Reine-Adélaïde, all will not leave but all can.
OL are hoping for 60 million euros for Aouar (City still hold the pole), 30 million euros for Memphis (who wants to go to Barça).
Dembélé also wants a change of scenery, like Reine-Adélaïde (Rennes?).
At the club, we swear that Aouar, Memphis and Dembélé will not all leave.
But, after a while, you'll have to say stop.
In attack and in the middle, profiles are already targeted to compensate for the departures of executives.
Because even with a smaller future workforce, Lyon still has identical ambitions.
Get back to the Champions League as quickly as possible, implied at the end of this new season.
“The coach must adapt.
I will adapt and I will look for solutions, ”Garcia murmurs.
This one looks forward to October 6.
To finally be freed from this transfer window of all dangers.