Clearly, RC Lens cannot sign a new goalkeeper. After the failure in the Jean Butez case, the Sang & Or set their sights on Pau Lopez. Will Still’s club has even already communicated about the signing of the Spanish goalkeeper… who ultimately will not come!
It’s January 9, but we already have the incredible story of this winter transfer window. It concerns the Racing Club de Lens, a club coached by a certain Will Still.
Quickly this winter, the Sang & Or learned that their starting goalkeeper, Brice Samba, wanted to leave the Artesian club in order to join Rennes. Very quickly, the Lensois targeted Jean Butez to replace him.
While an agreement was close between the different parties, the Antwerp goalkeeper finally signed up for Como, under the orders of Cesc Fabregas, forcing Lens to restart their search.
Will Still’s club did not delay and set its sights on Pau Lopez, Olympique de Marseille goalkeeper loaned to Girona, but condemned to reservist status. OM therefore wanted to end its loan in order to put it at the service of RC Lens.
We already have the crazy story of the transfer window!
Between the different parties, negotiations quickly moved in the right direction, to the point that Pau Lopez has already carried out a photo shoot in his new colors, while Lens has already hinted at his arrival on social networks. But, huge last minute problem: he will not sign.
It’s the French media Footmercato which tells this incredible story. Girone was therefore ready to let Pau Lopez transit through the Marseille city to join Lens, except that the Spanish club realized at the last minute that the goalkeeper was registered on the club’s European list, and that he could not be replaced.
“While a total agreement had been reached between Racing Club de Lens, Olympique de Marseille and Pau Lopez, the arrival of the Spanish international is canceled. Girona FC informed Olympique de Marseille today of its “firm desire to keep the player until January 29, an unacceptable condition for Racing which thus renounces its signature”, declared the Sang & Or club in a press release.
Pau Lopez will therefore not sign for RC Lens. Will Still’s club has still not found its goalkeeper, while Girona FC finds itself with an unmotivated goalkeeper, who will only be there to be included on the scoresheet in the Champions League, whom the club no longer wants and who will receive a salary of €300,000 by the end of the season.
All this while registrations on European lists are renewed after the league phase, and this decision by Girone therefore only concerns the last two Champions League matches, especially since the club is practically certain to be eliminated with a trip to AC Milan and the reception of Arsenal on the program, and five points behind the 24th place occupied by Dinamo Zagreb.
A very funny story, which reminds us that in a transfer window, anything can happen until the last moments.
