Anthony Lopes will join another Ligue 1 club!

For months, the Anthony Lopes malaise has continued to grow in Lyon. An emblematic figure of the last decade in OL goals, Anthony Lopes has experienced a serious turnaround since this summer at his favorite club. Indeed, with the arrival of Lucas Perri last winter, the Rhone plans seemed clear from the start: Anthony Lopes will finish the 2023-2024 season in goal for Les Gones but he will be replaced at the start of the season by the Brazilian goalkeeper . A battle plan which had been established for many months and which should allow the Portuguese goalkeeper to more easily cope with a departure last summer.

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In the end, nothing went as planned. Indeed, wanting to finally stay in his long-time club for one more season, the 34-year-old goalkeeper was downgraded. While Rémy Descamps arrived in the role of Lucas Perri's understudy, Lopes even saw the young Justin Bengui Joao move ahead of him in the hierarchy of Lyon goalkeepers. A downgrade which affected Anthony Lopes, who arrived at OL at 10 years old, and who uttered a heartfelt cry in the columns of The Team a few weeks ago: “I simply think that I am not part of the hierarchy of goalkeepers at OL. I am in the place I was given, which is to say none. I accept the situation as best I can, knowing that I have no other choice available to me. I am in the training group, but not in the hierarchy, since I cannot apply to play.

Anthony Lopes about to join FC Nantes

In the same interview, the Portuguese goalkeeper explained that he was keen to find a sporting challenge as quickly as possible in order to “rediscover the adrenaline of the pitch”. This opportunity could well take place this winter with FC Nantes. Since last summer, rumors sending the goalkeeper to FC Nantes have been established. This Saturday is The Team which adds another layer by going even further: the 2016 European champion is very close to joining the Canaries in the coming weeks. An opportunity that makes sense as both parties need this relaunch to get back on a good footing.

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Having not set foot on Ligue 1 pitches since May, Anthony Lopes could therefore return to these pitches by taking part in an interesting sporting project if not really ambitious. For its part, FC Nantes, wishing to enhance its squad with experienced players in the quest to maintain, will enlist the services of a goalkeeper who was undoubtedly one of the most decisive in France until recently. a few years. While the future of Alban Lafont in Loire-Atlantique seems very unclear following his sidelining by Antoine Kombouaré, starting off on a healthy basis with Anthony Lopes could allow Nantes to find its second wind. According to our colleagues, Lopes should join Nantes for the next six months while contract extensions of several years will be linked to sporting performances.