Heat on the Lensois transfer window. Leipzig “revolves around” Lens striker Loïs Openda, but the latest German offer and artesian claims are “quite far away”, assured Arnaud Pouille, general manager of Lens, on Monday. “Loïs, from the start, the project has not been to give him up, it’s really to keep him and have him there next season,” said Arnaud Pouille at a press conference on Monday on the sidelines of the resumption. the training of the Lensois workforce.
“Leipzig revolves around him. For the moment, the real subject that exists is that they have their economic views with a view to a potential transfer, we have ours, they are still quite distant”, he added, specifying that Lens had received a third offer from Leipzig after the first two which “did not deserve analysis”.
Loïs Openda, whose contract runs until 2027, scored 21 goals in Ligue 1 last season, a record in the Blood and Gold jersey. Fourth top scorer in the championship, he was also among the five nominated for the L1 best player trophy. The Belgian international (9 caps, 2 goals), who is due to resume training with Lens on July 17 after playing for the U23 Euros, does not hide his interest in Leipzig.
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“It can be a good club that will help me take a step,” he said on June 14 in an interview with Belgian media RTL Info. For the recovery, the Lensois coach Franck Haise was able to count on 24 players, among whom Seko Fofana did not appear. The Blood and Gold captain is coveted by the Saudi club Al-Nassr, even if “for the moment, he is not transferred definitively”, said Monday Arnaud Pouille, acknowledging “ongoing discussions”.
Among the 24 players present were three of Racing’s four summer recruits, Stijn Spierings, Neil El Aynaoui and Andy Diouf. Morgan Guilavogui, selected in June with Guinea, benefits like the other internationals from a few extra days of rest. This recovery was the opportunity for Franck Haise to see several young people in action. “Some could, with a lot of commitment and work, become part of the workforce,” confirmed the general manager Sang et Or. Lens will play six friendly matches in the coming weeks, including a clash on August 5 against Manchester United , at Old Trafford. The Ligue 1 season will begin for the Sang et or with a trip to Brest on the weekend of August 12 and 13.
