OL: after Tessmann, another international heading to the Rhône?

After three lackluster seasons under the colors of Olympique Lyonnais, Ainsley Maitland-Niles finds himself in a contractual situation which favors a departure this summer. The former England international, who arrived free from Arsenal in August 2023 and under contract until June 30, 2027, should not be offered an extension by his management. The Rhone club would prefer to monetize his departure rather than let him leave at a lower cost in a year.

England and Turkey as a destination

According to information relayed by TransferfeedLeeds United and Galatasaray would be the two clubs most advanced in this file, representing the Premier League and the Turkish championship respectively. Despite his contractual situation, Maitland-Niles still has a market value estimated at more than 10 million euros, an amount that Lyon intends to obtain so as not to find itself shortchanged in the transaction.

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On the Lyon side, a departure would require finding a successor at the right-back position, even if the presence of Clinton Mata and the young Steeve Kango, who appeared several times this season with satisfaction, offers alternatives to Paulo Fonseca. However, the uncertainty around qualification for the Champions League could complicate the management of this file, making the recruitment of a quality replacement more difficult to conclude.

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To summarize

Maitland-Niles on the start? Lyon will not extend the Englishman, under contract until 2027, and hopes to get 10 million euros from it. Leeds United and Galatasaray are in the running. A departure which would force OL to recruit a right-back, with the club’s budgetary constraints.

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