Lens CEO confirms third bid from RB Leipzig for Lois Openda | OneFootball

Lens Chief Executive Officer Arnaud Pouille has confirmed that RB Leipzig submitted another bid for their striker Lois Openda.

The German club has already made two offers for the free-scoring Belgian international which were rejected.

Pouille believes that the initial offers from Leipzig fell short of their valuation for the centre-forward.

Openda had a remarkable debut season in Ligue 1, netting 21 goals and four assists.

He helped Lens finish second in Ligue 1 and qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2003. They were only one point behind league champions Paris Saint-Germain.

His scintillating performances have attracted interest from several top European clubs. AC Milan showed interest in services, but Leipzig emerged as an eager suitor.

The Bundesliga club view Openda as the ideal replacement for Christopher Nkunku, who recently joined Chelsea.

Lens had set an asking price of €50 million for their prized asset. However, Leipzig’s initial bids failed to meet this valuation, leaving negotiations in limbo.

Pouille said (via AFP): “We received a third bid for Openda. The first two were not worth discussing.”

Despite the current impasse, the Lens CEO remains hopeful that the two clubs can agree to end the transfer saga.

While Leipzig’s interest in Openda intensifies, Lens want to keep their star forward.

Pouille emphasised the importance of Openda to their ambitions in both Ligue 1 and the upcoming Champions League group stage.

The CEO acknowledged the differing economic perspectives between the two clubs but remained optimistic about finding common ground.

Openda’s potential move to Leipzig would allow him to further his career, while Lens would need to recalibrate their plans to cope with the loss of their talismanic forward.

The next few weeks promise to be decisive in determining his future.