Will Sanches remain an LS player? Stéphane Henchoz responds

Alvyn Sanches’ price has increased. This is what Lausanne-Sport has made known to all the clubs who have their eyes fixed on its nugget. The club does not articulate any precise figures. But its sports director, Stéphane Henchoz, still delivers a big clue. “Last summer, we waited between 4 and 6 million francs to agree to sell Alvyn. Today, it’s more than that.” Because everyone realized the grandiose autumn of the young Lausanne resident. His goals, his assists, his dribbling, his play without the ball, his consistency.

In Lausanne, Alvyn Sanches is the man who arouses all desire. Both those of the clubs which would like to secure his services and those of Lausanne-Sport itself, which wants to be able to count on its talented midfielder until the month of June. “In this type of situation, a club must respect the wishes of the player,” recalls Stéphane Henchoz.

Alvyn Sanches says he wants to “finish the season in Lausanne”

In this sense, number 80 sent a happy message with regard to the LS. In an interview given to Sky Sport on Wednesday, he had exactly these words: “As a young player, I have to have a career plan. I want to finish the season with my training club, before being able to transfer to an intermediate club which will allow me to reach the highest level.

This will delight the Vaudois supporters, who have started to dream of Europe, or even of a title, since their team lights up Swiss football. And who will really need their “kid from here” to turn their dream into reality. The fact remains that the transfer window will not open until January, and the situation is still far from being set in stone.

“I am optimistic that he will still be with us when the Super League resumes (editor’s note: January 19). I have the impression that deep down he has this desire to finish the job,” says Stéphane Henchoz. Which nevertheless recalls several essential elements around this issue.

Engrave your name in the legend of Lausanne-Sport

“We cannot compete with the fame and remuneration of the big clubs. What we can offer Alvyn on the other hand, and we did, is a project that makes sporting and emotional sense. This may be the last time in his career that he will play for his hometown club. He has the opportunity to engrave his name in the legend. That he will one day move to a bigger championship, that’s certain. But are the opportunities best during the winter transfer window? Not necessarily.”

An in-between could exist, and probably satisfy everyone. Like what Dan Ndoye experienced with Nice in 2020, Alvyn Sanches could be sold this winter, but finish the season at Lausanne-Sport in the form of loan. “In the discussions started with certain clubs, this is an option considered,” explains Stéphane Henchoz.

Balance of accounts

What is the need for Lausanne-Sport to sell, to balance its budget? “We know that we have to sell players so that the club, one day or another, is self-sufficient. Which is by far not the case today. But our owner (ndlr: Ineos) does not impose obligations on us. We must sell, but at the right price. We don’t have the knife to our throat.”

Still, we shouldn’t expect to see the LS do anything crazy on the winter market, to give substance to its excellent first ride. “Above all, we hope to keep our players until June, to see how far we can go with these guys,” continues the sports director.

“The team is competitive, the positions are doubled. Certain elements will gain further strength in the second round. On the bench, there are players who could be starters. This allows the coach to be able to act during the match without losing quality. Having said that, there is outside interest for many of our players. There are three or four of them, young people, who have performed very well in recent months. If some have to leave us this winter, we have already anticipated, so that we can replace them.

Florian Vaney has been a journalist in the Sport-Center editorial team since 2019. Trained in the regional press, he closely follows Swiss football, from the “bank” divisions to the Super League.More info

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