Everything did not go as planned in Lyon.
At the end of the day, good moves, curious choices, and aborted sales.
Not qualified for the European Cup this season, strongly affected economically by the coronavirus epidemic, Lyon wanted to downsize its large workforce this summer.
Some executives, with a high market value, had an exit certificate.
Houssem Aouar, Memphis Depay and Moussa Dembélé.
They wanted to leave.
Lyon, with regret, was ready to part with it.
They haven't left.
A "downsizing" operation on the other hand rather successful with less important players in the workforce, all gone this summer: Marçal, Rafael, Terrier, Tatarusanu, Tete and above all the very good sale of Traoré (18.5 million euros to Aston Villa).
OL also had to part with two promising youngsters, Gouiri and Kalulu.
Also, Lyon lost on the last day of the transfer window its two most expensive purchases of last summer, recruited for nearly 50 million euros (Reine-Adélaïde 25 million euros and Andersen 24 million euros).
Both left OL… on loan.
And will bring almost nothing in the short term (paying loans of 500,000 euros and 1 million euros respectively).
Lyon made bets
Even more surprisingly, Reine-Adélaïde was loaned to a direct competitor, Nice.
“The player wanted to leave and did not particularly carry Rudi Garcia in his heart, blows us a source at the club.
And then Aouar stayed, Paqueta arrived, choices had to be made.
Andersen also did not intend to go on vacation with Rudi Garcia.
When we know that the third most expensive transfer of last summer, Thiago Mendes (25 million euros) has remained but has been disappointing since his arrival, OL's summer transfer window in 2019 will not remain in the annals.
Far from there.
And that of 2020?
In addition to the question of departures, Lyon made bets with Lucas Paqueta (recruited 20 million euros) and the arrivals of Italian defender Mattia De Sciglio (on loan)
and the Algerian defender
Djamel Benlamri.
Risk.
It will also be necessary to manage to re-mobilize the fantastic Memphis Depay, whose head was no longer in Lyon since the start of the season ... Many uncertainties and few certainties.
