Olympique Lyonnais are under pressure to generate €20 million in player sales by the end of June, with that figure potentially rising to €60 million if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, according to L’Équipe. The club is actively working to reshape its squad under the guidance of manager Paulo Fonseca and sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean, with Fonseca reportedly highly valuing the work of the club’s scouting network.
Five players are currently considered untouchable: goalkeeper Dominik Greif, defender Moussa Niakhaté, midfielder Tyler Morton, and experienced midfielder Corentin Tolisso, along with either winger Malick Fofana or Afonso Moreira. Several other players are being targeted by other clubs, including Nicolas Tagliafico, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Orel Mangala, Abner Vinicius, Pavel Sulc, Tanner Tessmann, and Ruben Kluivert. These sales are intended to both reduce the wage bill and provide funds for new signings.
Lyon are aiming to renew contracts with at least five or six current squad members as part of the wider restructuring. The team is scheduled to return for pre-season training on June 29th, with a key target date being August 4th, the date of their Champions League third qualifying round first leg. Niakhaté and Tagliafico will be suspended for this match due to red cards received during Europa Conference League matches against Celta Vigo.
The club is considering a pre-season training camp in either Germany or Austria during the third week of preparations, with five to six friendly matches planned. Players who participated in recent international tournaments – Niakhaté, Sulc, Ernest Nuamah, and Tagliafico – will be granted a maximum of three weeks of leave. Lyon are seeking to strengthen the squad both in terms of athleticism and pace, targeting a central defender, two full-backs (particularly on the right), a defensive midfielder, and a young, fast striker. The club intends to integrate more players from its academy into the first-team setup.
Lyon finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season, missing out on European qualification. The financial pressures and the need to rebuild the squad present a significant challenge for Fonseca as he prepares for the new campaign. Successful player sales will be crucial to funding the desired reinforcements and achieving the club’s ambitions of returning to the Champions League.
