Thiago Almada during Argentina – Iraq at Parc OL (Photo by CLAUDIO VILLA / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP)
This winter, OL must above all downsize their squad. However, the arrivals of Thiago Almada and Luiz Henrique are expected, even if Pierre Sage refuses to answer them for the moment.
He had announced the color for several weeks already but he repeated it this Thursday at a press conference. Twenty-four hours after the opening of the transfer window, Pierre Sage recalled that this month of January should “be used to degrease”. In fact, the coach of theOL would like to be able to count on 20 field players and four goalkeepers against twenty-four plus four as was the case Thursday in training. This suggests that four departures are expected after those of Anthony Lopes, Jeffinho as well as the upcoming one from Gift Orban. Four or more? Because even if he assures that he has no need to strengthen himself, Pierre Sage saw names being linked to OL in the direction of arrivals. With two players coming straight from Botafogo in mind: Thiago Almada and Luiz Henrique.
OL remains banned from recruiting
In a football where smooth communication takes precedence over sincerity, both players have the credit for having announced their arrival at OL of their own accord. An intriguing communication which is enough to embarrass the Lyon club. He remains under DNCG sanctions with a recruitment ban and the question is how well he can do to register these arrivals. In any case, the files do not seem to have completely arrived on the coach's desk. “Am I aware of anything? Not at all and I will comment on it from the moment it is official. Today, we don't know if we are in the formalization phase.”
