This winter, OL's objective will be to succeed in selling as many players as possible without weakening the team at Pierre Sage's disposal. A balancing act that doesn't scare John Textor.
Pinned by the DNCG, which issued a ban on recruitment and a precautionary relegation at the end of the season, Olympique Lyonnais will be closely watched during the winter transfer window. John Textor is well aware of this, he will have to resolve to sell many players if he wants to satisfy the financial policeman of French football. But the OL boss has reassured supporters on several occasions by promising that the team's key players will not be sacrificed in January. There is therefore no question of seeing elements such as Cherki, Fofana or even Mikautadze packing their bags in the winter transfer window.
On the other hand, the media 365 confirms that several players are targeted by OL management for a departure in January. No less than eleven players are affected, starting with Anthony Lopes, pushed out last summer and whose contract expires next June. Another player trained at Olympique Lyonnais is the target of the Lyon board in the person of Maxence Caqueret, who is having his worst season with Les Gones and who will not be retained by the leaders of OL, nor by Pierre Sage. In the offensive sector, several players are candidates for departure from Ernest Nuamah to Saïd Benrahma via Gift Obran and Wilfried Zaha.
A long list of undesirables at OL
All these players are likely to leave, Pierre Sage mainly counting on Lacazette, Cherki, Fofana and Mikautadze in attack even if the 45-year-old coach appreciates Benrahma, who has always been present in the squad rotation. Finally, less used players such as Paul Akuoukou, Mahamadou Diawara and Saël Kumbedi are also leaving. Adryelson and Jeffinho, currently on loan to Botafogo, are not expected to return to Lyon during the month of January. It now remains to be seen which players among those previously mentioned will receive offers. In an ideal world, John Textor will in any case slim down en masse among undesirable players so as not to have to sacrifice players judged to be starters in the eyes of Pierre Sage.
