The economic strategy of many football clubs is based on the acquisition of players at reduced costs to sell them with significant added value. Olympique Lyonnais (OL) is part of this approach, favouring resale as a source of revenue, unlike some clubs that invest heavily to build a competitive team. This approach is not new to OL, recalling the policy pursued under Jean-Michel Aulas, where players trained at the Academy became lucrative sales. John Textor, the new owner, wishes to reaffirm this tradition, relying more on trading, given the lack of prospects for young talent in recent seasons.

With the approach of the summer, OL could be forced to re-bet on their young players to make up for important starts. The transfers of Rayaan Cherkidi and potentially Malick Fofana, two players considered valuable assets, should generate substantial revenues. These sales have contributed to an increase in the club’s accumulated revenue over the last decade, since its entry into the OL Park, and have strengthened OL’s financial position on the European scene.

Although OL remains far from the financial performance of clubs like Benfica, which have achieved exceptional sales, it ranks among the ten European clubs with the best balance of transfers since 2015-2016. With a profit of 256 million euros, the club occupies 9th place, far behind Benfica. For OL, the establishment of good business and the development of its own academy are key elements to be incorporated into its strategy to restore sustainable financial competitiveness.