RC Lens chats with Pau López!

Clearly, this is a file that seems to punctuate the entire start of this winter transfer window in France. The arrival of Anthony Lopes at FC Nantes launched a great game of musical chairs in the French championship. While Alban Lafont had once been announced for RC Lens, the Lens management had finally set its sights on Jean Butez, French goalkeeper for Royal Antwerp. Meanwhile, Brice Samba was leaving for Stade Rennais who wanted to strike a second big blow from the opening of the winter market after the arrival of Seko Fofana was made official. But against all expectations, RC Lens blocked everything at the last minute and without any real explanation. In this sense, Lafont is still in Nantes, Samba has gone to clash with Lens, while Butez is still in Belgium and now seems to have been removed from the equation. This Sunday, at the microphone of DAZNgeneral manager Pierre Dréossi came to make a very big update on the goalkeepers' file:

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«Brice Samba was announced as the starter. Afterwards what is announced is not the responsibility of RC Lens. Two or three small details. Brice came to see me at the end of the year to tell me that his wish was to leave. We were a little surprised, but oh well. It happened like this. We have been contacted by Rennes and we are in negotiations. The negotiations have stalled a bit, not stopped, but tense. But we are still in negotiations. If they end he will leave, otherwise not. Like all transfers. There are too many rumors about this issue. These are long negotiations, around ten days, but there is no agreement“. This great game of domino effect of goalkeepers is in any case very far from being finished since even if the sale of Brice Samba to Rennes is not completely locked, RC Les continues to work hard internally to find a successor of his caliber. And a new goalkeeper could well enter the Lens dance of doorkeepers.

Pau Lopez's profile checked

According to our information, RC Lens is now very interested in the Spanish goalkeeper, Pau López (30), currently on loan from Olympique de Marseille to the Catalan club Girona. Demoted in the rotation with the arrival of Geronimo Rulli in Marseille, the former AS Roma goalkeeper was cordially invited to find a new team. While he had been linked to Italian promoted Como for a very long time, the native of Girona was finally sent on loan with an option to buy 6.5 million euros in his hometown on August 16, 2024. Unfortunately , his adventure in Catalonia does not go as planned. Pau López only appeared once in the Girona jersey (as much as the third veteran goalkeeper of 36 years Juan Carlos), being the simple understudy of Paulo Gazzaniga and is not happy with this situation. Aware of the player's precarious situation in Spain, the Artesian club contacted the player's agent in recent days. In this sense, the marriage between the Blood and Gold and the Spanish goalkeeper appears to be an idyllic solution for all parties.

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Indeed, Pau López would be put in competition with Hervé Koffi for the role of number 1 in a major championship that he knows, within a club which needs reinforcement to stay in the race for Europe. On the Lens side, he would retain an experienced international goalkeeper who has proven himself at Betis, AS Roma and OM to compensate for the departure of a senior player like Brice Samba. However, the transaction does not appear to be the simplest. If all parties want to find a positive outcome, Girona will first have to be convinced to break Pau López's loan. RC Lens will then have to enter into negotiations with Olympique de Marseille to find an agreement with the Marseille club, before drawing the first contractual lines with the 30-year-old goalkeeper.