August 25, (THEWILL) – Lyon owner, John Textor, has denied reports that the club must sell players worth €100 million before the summer transfer window ends. This statement comes after the French newspaper, L’Equipe, claimed Lyon had put most of their squad on the market to raise €75 million and balance their budget.
Textor, who owns Lyon through Eagle Football Group, told Reuters: “We do not have sales targets, and we are not required to sell €100 million worth of players.” He added that other ways exist to maintain financial sustainability. Lyon has spent around €134 million since June, more than any other French team.
The club’s performance on the pitch has been poor, with no wins and no goals in their first two Ligue 1 matches. Their home game against Monaco saw them attempt only one shot, their lowest tally in a single Ligue 1 game since Opta began collecting this data in 2006-07.
Textor acknowledged that Lyon might have missed their normal budget in the off-season due to a slow transfer window. However, he stated that if the window remains slow, they would simply hold players until the next window. He also mentioned that there is always “flexibility in how to create cash flows.”
The American businessman, who has stakes in several football clubs worldwide, recently confirmed his interest in buying English Premier League club Everton. However, he would need to sell his shares in Crystal Palace first. Textor emphasised that all French companies face the challenge of restoring negative equity by year-end, stating: “It’s no different in football.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
