Guest of the named show The Evening Team this Tuesday, Olivier Létang discussed, to varying degrees, the mercantile news of four members of his workforce: Jonathan David, Edon Zhegrova, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Lucas Chevalier.
Every year, in summer as in winter, a football club must maneuver with periods called “transfer markets”, periods during which the movement of players, from club to club, is authorized. This obviously concerns LOSC, which is preparing to experience a winter transfer window with limited transactions. This does not prevent the news from being numerous and Olivier Létang, open to discussion, looked at four members of his squad mid-season.
Cas n°1 : Jonathan David
Jonathan David (24 years old), author of 17 goals and 4 assists in 25 matches in all competitions this season, is the most ardent mercantile file on the Lille side. It must be said that the Canadian, third top scorer in the history of LOSC, sees his contract tirelessly approaching its end: June 2025. He could thus within six months, in the event that nothing changes, benefit from a free departure next summer to experience a new adventure.
His case was obviously mentioned this Tuesday:
“Today we are having discussionsonce again confirmed Olivier Létang. He has a proposal in his hands. LOSC is his club. We have the capacity to do a certain number of things. On the other hand, the income that we generate this year, I have no certainty of generating it next year.
I also want there to be an established grid in our locker room. I don’t want to have one player there (eg: 500,000 euros per month) and the other there (eg: 20,000 euros per month), even if there is a difference between the youngest and the most experienced. We set a framework”explains the northern president, who underlines the consistency of the LOSC payroll.
The latter continues, revealing the duration of the proposed new lease:
“There is a proposal for an extension that Jonathan (David) has in his hands. This is a proposal for two additional seasons. We are discussing the possibility of signing it. I am not optimistic or pessimistic, I am like Saint Thomas, I only believe what I see”he specifies.
Cas n°2 : Edon Zhegrova
The case of the Kosovar attacker is very distinct. This time it is not a question of a contract coming to an end, but of desire for something else. Edon Zhegrova (25 years old) expressed these concerns at the beginning of the summer, in June, but he was quickly caught up by the patrol, the one led by Olivier Létang on the cobblestones of the Domaine de Luchin.
“It was very easy to retain him, returns the northern leader, who takes a leap back to older news. Edon (Zhegrova) made some unfortunate statements when he was in the national team. The club’s position towards the players is extremely clear. We have relationships of frankness, sincerity and transparency.
Players have exit vouchers (Leny Yoro and Jonathan David last summer, editor’s note), others don’t. Today, we are strong enough economically to say that this player can leave or not. We anticipate, and the players are already aware in June”he explains.
“Edon (Zhegrova) wanted to leave, but he was not ready to join a big club, the demands of a big club. We prepare them for that, to join the very big clubs, because Lille is a big club: respect the collective and the collective dynamic. I want my players to be carnivores, cannibals”which his protégé did not have last summer.
Case no. 3: Ayyoub Bouaddi
The third case is even younger, less confirmed, but undoubtedly more promising. This is Ayyoub Bouaddi (17 years old), whose repeated performances on the European stage cannot leave us indifferent: “Regarding him, it’s too early, because everything will depend on his performances until May. He did some things that were very good, but the performances he has over the next six, seven months will be decisive.”wanted to remind Olivier Létang on the small window this Tuesday.
The latter, who always refused to discuss in detail the case of Leny Yoro last season, continues:
“We will take stock at the end of the season. Ayyoub (Bouaddi) is a very intelligent boy with whom I talk a lot. Today he is only focused on making progress. He is very happy and fulfilled with us. I want him to be 100% Lille and not think of anything else”repeats the president of LOSC, who has not completely finished with the case of his young midfielder.
Case no. 4: A €60M player
Definitely launched on the subject, the journalists present around the set then no longer let go of Olivier Létang, more talkative than usual, while Lucas Chevalier added to the discussion: “Which squad player is currently worth the most in the LOSC squad?
Given the current market, with a certain amount of anticipation, I suppose these are the names you mentioned (David, Zhegrova, Chevalier) with Ayyoub (Bouaddi) in it. If we take his case. He turned 17 on October 2. He shows incredible maturity. Where to find this kind of profile, at 17 years old. That’s why the big clubs are looking at him. They were already watching it last year”he assures, with a smile on his lips.
A final piece is then put back into the machine:
“Is there a player worth as much as Leny Yoro (€62m, excluding bonus) in the squad at the moment?
Yes, there is at least one. One in the field and another in the goals…”concludes the Lille leader on the mercantile news of LOSC this Tuesday.
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