Very close to selling its captain Brice Samba to Stade Rennais, RC Lens would be very close to reaching an agreement with FC Nantes to strengthen its squad at the goalkeeper position. Explanations.
Mercato: Who to replace Brice Samba at RC Lens?
A real thunderbolt is about to strike RC Lens. Brice Samba, the irremovable goalkeeper of Sang et Or, will commit to Stade Rennais in exchange for a check for 15 million euros. To compensate for the imminent departure of the French international, the Racing Club de Lens is looking for a new number 1 goalkeeper. The number 1 status could have gone to his understudy, Hervé Koffi.
Last June, Lens had nevertheless invested 2.1 million euros to attract him. But according to L'Équipe, the 28-year-old Burkinabé, lined up in the 32nd final of the Coupe de France against Paris Saint-Germain (1-1, 3-4 defeat on penalties) last Sunday, raises doubts internally regarding its regularity. This is why sports director Diego Lopez, aware of the loss of leadership represented by the departure of Samba, would have decided to preferably turn to a potential starter.
According to the newspaper L'Équipe, the Lensois leader would therefore have obtained information about the Trabzonspor goalkeeper, Ugurcan Çakır. The 28-year-old Turkish international, number 2 goalkeeper in the selection, represents a serious prospect, but the Sang et Or could ultimately choose a local option on the side of FC Nantes.
Alban Lafont to replace Brice Samba in Lens?
Quoted by insider Mohamed Toubache-Ter, the name of Alban Lafont has been circulating in recent hours. The FC Nantes goalkeeper lost his place before the winter break, and his leaders do not seem to want to keep him. His situation could therefore represent an opportunity for RC Lens, knowing that Antoine Kombouaré's protégé has the advantage of knowing Ligue 1 and sharing the same agent as Brice Samba.
Mohamed Toubache-Ter even adds that Lafont could become the next goalkeeper of RC Lens. Negotiations between the leaders of the two French clubs are well advanced. Estimated at 7 million euros by the specialist site Transfermarkt, Alban Lafont could be the subject of an agreement between FC Nantes and RC Lens around an amount of around 5 million euros. To be continued…
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