Olympique Lyonnais has had an important renewal period since January, separating itself from several key and promising players to replace them with profiles considered to be bets for the future. According to the CIES Football Observatory, this “degreasing” strategy has had significant financial consequences. The operation enabled OL to obtain the second best balance of purchases and sales in Europe in 2025, thanks to lucrative transfers such as Rayan Cherki in Manchester City and Georges Mikautadze in Villarreal. These sales, combined with more moderate arrivals, allowed the club to realize a profit of €108.3 million. This financial performance is remarkable, especially in comparison with other French clubs such as Paris FC, PSG, Strasbourg, Rennes and Marseille, which are in deficit. However, these clubs remain significantly below the largest European clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, which have much larger deficits.

Unfortunately, the international truce was marked by an injury to Lyon’s central defender Moussa Niakhaté, who had to be replaced in Senegal’s victory over the Sudan. The initial diagnosis is worrying and could lead to a prolonged absence for the player in the next games. Niakhaté, an essential element of the Lyon force, will be absent from the Democratic Republic of Congo due to an injury revealed by an MRI. This absence is a hard blow for the team, and its duration of unavailability remains to be determined.

At the same time, Olympique Lyonnais is continuing its mercato adjustments with a view to closing the transfer market. The club managed to recruit Rachid Ghezzal, free of any contract, while yielding two young talents from his team: goaltender Mathieu Patouillet, who is expected to join Saudi Arabia, and defender Mahamadou Diawara, who is engaged with the Royal Antwerp in Belgium. This transfer, estimated at 250,000 euros with a purchase option, is particularly advantageous for OL as Antwerp will take over the entire salary of Diawara. This operation allows OL to relieve their finances while ensuring the future of a promising young player.