Auxerre agree to loan Paul Joly to Kaiserslautern | OneFootball

For the first time in his career, Paul Joly (25) will experience football abroad.

On Monday, L’Équipe reported that AJ Auxerre were set to loan the defender to FC Kaiserslautern in the German second tier for the season. The move also includes an option to buy for the man born in Orléans.

Joly leaves the Burgundy side after five years with them in both Ligue 1 and 2, making 26 domestic appearances for Christophe Pélissier’s side in 2024-25. The Frenchman was an integral part of the team, earning top-flight promotion in 2023-24, as he was named to the Ligue 2 Team of the Year in that title-winning campaign.

Auxerre conceded the fewest goals that season (36). The 25-year-old joins a historic side that won four Bundesliga titles years ago. Under new manager Torsten Lieberknecht, Kaiserslautern will aspire to return to the top flight of German football for the first time since 2021-22.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre