Ligue 1 special: A frail Olympique Lyonnais now trail LOSC Lille, PSG and Olympique de Marseille
The summer transfer window opened earlier this June and most of the clubs in the French Ligue 1 have already finished their business in the transfer market.
Reigning Ligue 1 champions LOSC Lille lost a few of their players who were important for Les Dogues domestic double triumph in the 2010/2011 campaign. However, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais side have done well in making up for the losses of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Yohan-Cabaye-c37423,
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Adil-Rami-c3639 by bringing in good replacements. Furthermore, Rudi Garcia has added more depth to his squad.
Though http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Morgan-Amalfitano-c26799.
Everyone in France knows how active Paris Saint-Germain have been in this summer’s transfer window. With the arrival of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Qatar-c2986 Investment Authority as the club’s new owners, Les Parisiens have already made seven signings and are on the verge of completing
a 43 million Euros move for Argentine sensation http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Javier-Pastore-c18082.
Three of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899’s biggest clubs have done what needed to be done in the transfer market. However, there is a fourth club that has been one of the most successful French sides since the turn of the new millennia.
An eerie silence at the seventh arrondissment
Seven-time Ligue 1 champions, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-Lyonnais-c40130 have been ultra quite in this summer’s transfer window. A club that spent nearly 80 million Euros in the summers of 2009 and 2010 has not spent a single penny this summer.
The eerie silence surrounding the 353 Avenue Jean-Jaures in the 7th Arrondissment where Stade Gerland is located is definitely something to look at.
So far, no new arrivals have been seen at the Rhone club. The only ‘potential’ arrival this summer is http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/AJ-Auxerre-c38247 youngster Delvin N’Dinga. However, as things stand the Burgundy club is not willing to let go of the highly-rated midfielder.
Empty pockets
Les Gones financial woes have forced the club to sell a player before even thinking of buying one. Initially, it was expected that the Rhone giants would be able to receive around 40 million Euros for the transfers of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Kim-c20955 Kallstrom, Jeremy
Toulalan, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ederson-c11880.
However, apart from the exception of Toulalan who recently joined La Liga side Malaga, no player has left the club largely due to lack of concrete offers. Michel Bastos was linked with a move to Italian Serie A side Juventus but the Bianconeri are yet to
launch an official bid for the winger.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Porto-c39186 is yet to receive any serious offer. Same can be said about Kim Kallstrom, Dejan Lovren and Ederson.
No more gambles
However, club president Jean-Michel Aulas is adamant that the club would break the bank in order to compete for top honours next season. The Lyon supremo has learnt it the hard way that splashing the cash every summer cannot guarantee success and has since
changed the club’s recruitment policy.
The 62-year-old admitted of implementing a loose policy in the summer transfer windows of previous seasons and said that this time the club will look to bank on the youth card.
Signing a player is a gamble that every other club makes but in Lyon’s case, Aulas made one gamble too many times in the form of Aly Cissokho, Bafetimbi Gomis and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Yoann-Gourcuff-c37416.
Top 3 finish not a guarantee
With the Rhone side not able to make any moves in the transfer window this summer, it seems that Remi Garde will have to start his coaching stint with Lyon being the fourth best team in France. With the likes of Lille, Marseille and PSG strengthening their
squads, Lyon will have a hard time competing for the league title and even a Champions League berth next season.
For a club that’s used to playing and playing well in the Champions League, the prospect of not being able to attain a top-three-finish could prove costly but it might turn out to be a short-term disappointment.
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