Olympique Lyonnais has formalized Paul Akouokou’s loan start to Real Zaragoza, a second Spanish division. This Ivorian midfielder, considered undesirable by coach Paulo Fonseca, left the club after having played only 14 games since his arrival in 2023 from Bétis Seville. His departure allows OL to save on his salary, but the club will have to find a solution for his departure next summer, while he has only one year left. His visit to Lyon was motivated by Laurent Blanc’s need for a robust midfielder, but he never managed to win the team.

At the same time, Georgian striker Georges Mikautadze officially joined Villarreal, after a year in Lyon. The player, who had arrived from Metz, played 49 games with OL, scoring 18 goals and delivering 11 assists. His departure marks a new stage in his career and represents a loss for the Lyon attack, which has privileged the development of young talents to complete his strength this season. The leaders actively sought an economic and efficient attacker during the mercato, but without success, preferring to avoid a panic recruit.

The end of the mercato for Olympique Lyonnais therefore focused on reinforcement and disengagement movements. OL opted for a strategy focused on its training centre, with the intention of relying on young players such as Enzo Molebe and Alejandro Gomez Rodriguez for the coming season. This approach, validated by Paulo Fonseca, demonstrates a desire to build the future of the club by valuing internal talents. The departure of Paul Akouokou and Georges Mikautadze illustrates the adjustments needed to optimize the strength and meet the club’s sporting objectives.