Most expensive player sales from Lyon

We take a look at the top 10 most expensive player sales from Olympique Lyonnais.

• Tanguy Ndombele (€62.00m)

Tottenham Hotspur signed Tanguy Ndombele for a club-record fee from Lyon in July 2019, with the 22-year-old putting pen to paper on a six-year deal.

A polarising figure in North London, Ndombele failed to live up to his price tag and returned to Lyon on loan in 2022. Other loan spells at Napoli and Galatasaray followed before Spurs announced the mutual termination of his contract at the end of the 2023/24 season.

• Alexandre Lacazette (€53.00m)

Moving to Arsenal for a then-club record fee in July 2017, Alexandre Lacazette scored 54 times in 158 Premier League appearances for Arsenal and helped the Gunners win the 2020 FA Cup final.

Lacazette returned to Lyon in the summer of 2022 on a free transfer.

• Ferland Mendy (€48.00m)

Real Madrid were splashing the cash in the summer of 2019 and Los Blancos added Lyon left-back Ferland Mendy to their ranks following the purchases of Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic.

The France international has clocked up over 200 appearances for Real Madrid, although his career in the Spanish capital has been blighted by injuries.

• Bradley Barcola (€45.00m)

In August 2023, Lyon's Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain announced the purchase of the prodigious Bradley Barcola on a five-year deal.

Barcola, who progressed through Lyon's academy, has emerged as one of the world's brightest attacking prospects and established himself as a vital feature of Didier Deschamps' national team plans.

• Lucas Paqueta (€42.95m)

West Ham unveiled the ambitious signing of Brazilian international Lucas Paqueta from Lyon in August 2022.

The creative midfielder had joined for €20m (£17m) in 2020 after 18 months at Milan.

• Bruno Guimaraes (€42.10m)

Bruno Guimaraes was the subject of transfer interest from around Europe when Newcastle acquired him from Lyon in January 2022.

The Brazilian had joined Lyon from Athletico Paranaense for a reported €20m fee and clocked up over 70 appearances across two seasons for Les Gones.

• Corentin Tolisso (€41.50m)

Bayern Munich prised Corentin Tolisso from Lyon in June 2017 with the midfielder attracting interest from Chelsea and Juventus.

Tolisso spent five years in the Bavarian capital where he won the UEFA Champions League before returning to Lyon on a free transfer in 2022.

• Michael Essien (€38.00m)

Chelsea made Michael Essien the most expensive African footballer when they sealed a deal for the central midfielder from Lyon in August 2005.

The Ghanaian spent nine years at Stamford Bridge where he played a pivotal role in their Premier League and UEFA Champions League successes before moving to Milan in 2014.

• Karim Benzema (€35.00m)

Emerging as Lyon's talisman off the back of two 20+ goal seasons, Real Madrid came calling in July 2009.

The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner enjoyed a trophy-laden stint in the Spanish capital and Benzema departed Los Blancos in 2023 as one of the most successful players in Real Madrid's illustrious history.

• Malo Gusto (€30.00m)

The spending spree of the Todd Boehly era was in full swing when Chelsea purchased full-back Malo Gusto from Lyon in January 2023.

Gusto was loaned back to Lyon for the remainder of the season but has since made over 50 appearances for the Blues.

*Figures obtained from Transfermarkt.com

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