News Focus
- Lyon must sell players worth €20m before the end of June to avoid punishment from French football authorities.
- Midfielder Tyler Morton is protected and will not leave the club this summer.
- Atletico Madrid want American midfielder Tanner Tessmann and could pay €25m.
- Seven other first-team players are available for transfer to help balance the books.
- Even “untouchable” stars might depart if a club offers an enormous fee.
Olympique Lyonnais face another difficult summer as they battle to meet strict financial rules. The French club must raise €20 million through player sales before June ends to satisfy the DNCG, the body that controls football finances in France.
This situation follows last year’s crisis when Lyon sold many stars to stop the club from dropping to Ligue 2. The current position is less serious, but officials still demand proof of fresh income within weeks.
Club bosses have divided the squad into two groups. Tyler Morton, who joined from Liverpool last season, sits in the “untouchable” category. The English midfielder will stay alongside goalkeeper Dominik Greif, defender Moussa Niakhaté, captain Corentin Tolisso, and wingers Malick Fofana and Afonso Moreira. However, if one of the young wingers leaves, the other will become protected.
Even these key players are not completely safe. Lyon admits they cannot reject a massive bid if a top European club makes an offer that is impossible to refuse.
Meanwhile, several experienced stars are free to leave. Left-back Nicolas Tagliafico, utility player Ainsley Maitland-Niles, midfielder Orel Mangala, full-back Abner Vinicius, winger Pavel Sulc, midfielder Tanner Tessmann, and forward Ruben Kluivert are all on the market.
American international Tessmann attracts the strongest interest. Spanish giants Atletico Madrid want to sign him and are ready to pay between €20 million and €25 million. This fee alone would nearly solve Lyon’s immediate money problems.