Olympique Lyonnais (OL) is actively engaged in a policy of strengthening its workforce for next season, despite budgetary constraints. The club has already strengthened its midfield with the arrival of Tyler Morton from Liverpool and Pavel Å ulc from Viktoria Plzen, compensating for the departures of key players like Jordan Veretout and Rayan Cherkki. Particular attention is paid to the defensive sector, with a strong interest in Jan Ziolkowski, a Polish central defender also courted by Roma. OL is also looking for a new goaltender, Domiink Greif de Majorka, but negotiations are complex, with Majorka claiming double the initial OL offer.
In parallel with these player movements, OL appointed Christophe Delmotte as head of France Espoirs’ team, succeeding Gaël Clichy. Delmotte, a former Lyon player who has already trained OL at the youth level, succeeds this task with a solid experience. This appointment is part of a broader strategy for the renewal of the technical staff, with a growing influence of Portuguese members. OL is focusing on young players with high potential, as evidenced by the recent arrivals of Afonso Moreira and Ruben Kluivert, who participated in the summer training.
OL’s recruitment strategy has focused on markets considered to have interesting profiles for the French championship and the coach’s style of play. The arrival of Portuguese players, such as Moreira and Kluivert, illustrates this trend, reinforced by the inclusion of a Portuguese scout in the recruitment cell. Despite a controlled budget, OL managed to recruit several players, while freeing up pay space thanks to the departures of players such as Saïd Benrahma and Lucas Perri. The hope is that these reinforcements, combined with the experience of players like Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico, will keep OL competitive in France and Europe.