2023-06-07 08:38:05
Before the passage in front of the DNCG, the Olympique Lyonnais is active behind the scenes in a period of great vagueness.
Is there still a (sports) pilot on the plane, OL? This question fuels many discussions in Lyon where the club, since the ousting of its emblematic president, Jean Michel Aulas, on May 5 – made public on the morning of May 8 – has entered a form of “travel in unknown territory” , with John Textor who now combines the powers of owners and those of interim president.
Little present in Lyon – except in the week of the palace revolution from May 5 to 12 – the American businessman works remotely while remaining silent until the end of the championship: he thus responded to the request of Laurent Blanc, during his meal on May 10 between the two men not to unbalance the “athlete” by announcements. This silence will continue for a few more days as explained by RMC Sport: John Textor’s entourage explaining that “it was going to change within 10 days.”
But this external silence does not mean that nothing is done in the offices where John Textor works with … Bruno Cheyrou and Vincent Ponsot, whether “remotely” or “face-to-face”, as was the case on Saturday at Nice, on the sidelines of OL’s last match in Ligue 1 2022-23. It is a question of the future position of Bruno Cheyrou, in particular, who is not once morest the idea of ”going up within Eagle Football”, the structure created by John Textor, around OL, Molenbeek and Botafogo. The outlines of its mission will be refined by the end of the week. Because the new OL boss wants to keep Bruno Cheyrou with him, whom he takes care to spare in their exchanges, sheltered from the waves of negative comments and strong from his agreement with Laurent Blanc.
Cheyrou and Ponsot have advanced leads, validated by Blanc
Bruno Cheyrou should therefore gain height and the current recruitment unit – around ten people, including video and data analysis – should be led, as RMC Sport told you on Monday, by Mathieu Louis-Jean. The future-ex sports leader of OM will be responsible for consolidating it. What envelope will he have, while the new shareholders must at the same time take out the check book to launch the takeover bid (public purchase offer) on the shares listed on the Lyon stock exchange and for the most part held by important economic players in Lyon? The answer will be scrutinized: it will draw the contours of the summer transfer window 2023.
But the new drivers of the men’s professional sports project will not start from scratch: the current drivers – Bruno Cheyrou for the choice of men, Vincent Ponsot for the administrative and financial management of the files – have indeed made good progress on the tracks since this winter. Arrivals are rumored: certainly the files are a little slowed down (Hamari Traoré, the central defender at the end of the contract in Rennes? Al Musrati, the defensive midfielder of Braga? The right-back of FC Bruges, Clinton Mata?) but they would be well committed because above all… validated sportingly by Laurent Blanc. In continuity, the new tenant of the recruitment office might finalize them, especially as John Textor knows the outlines over the meetings with Cheyrou and Ponsot. Laurent Blanc also had to tell him regarding it during their exchanges on May 10.
But the most urgent are the loans, a long-term job led by Bruno Cheyrou throughout the season, in order to judge and gauge the potential for a return… or a sale! They are indeed 12 to return “legally speaking” following a freelance (obligated for some) far from Lyon. Almost no one should wear the new OL shirt next season. With a priority, that the return of loan from Rennes – without option to buy – of Karl Toko Ekambi be settled before the resumption of training on July 6. Leads are on the way to ensure the end of the story of the attacker, who became definitely unwanted in January.
Faivre attracts many clubs
The first player who might bring money into OL’s coffers is called Cenk Özkaçar: the purchase option set at 5 million euros should be exercised by Valencia, which has hosted the Turkish central defender since August 2022. The central defender, Abdoulaye N’diaye, who scored points in Bastia might also bring money. He is in contract with OL until 2025.
Romain Faivre, whose loan to Lorient brought him back to life – 4 goals and 2 assists in the last six matches – catches the eye of some clubs who are inquiring. If Laurent Blanc appreciates it and might make room for it in 23-24, the economic aspect might take precedence: it would offer a (good) inflow of money before June 30, the date of the end of the accounting year of the OL and the stage ahead of it: passing the DNCG on 22 June. The objective of current and future bosses is to settle a good half of the cases between now and the resumption, with difficulties for the players (Jeff Reine Adelaïde, Youssouf Koné, etc.) who have not been convinced in the clubs where they are. past. It will also be necessary to resist offers “which are difficult to refuse” concerning “bankable” players, Castello Lukeba, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki.
All this draws a full-bodied baptism of fire for John Textor and his future new strongman in professional recruitment, with the line of sight, for a team which has just finished twice in a row (8th in 2022 and 7th in 2023), far from the podium, the ambitious objective set by the new owner: the Champions League at the end of next season. A deadline that the (demanding) Lyon supporters have necessarily noted.
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