Nantes target loan move for Lyon midfielder Johann Lepenant | OneFootball

Nantes are pursuing a loan move for Lyon midfielder Johann Lepenant (21), according to reports from L’Equipe and Ouest-France. The 21-year-old midfielder recently linked up with Thierry Henry’s France Olympic football team as a reserve player in the wake of Chelsea’s Lesley Ugochukwu’s (20) recall. Lepenant spent the better part of last season on the sidelines after sustaining a serious knee injury. The 21-year-old defensive midfielder joined Les Gones from Caen in a €4m deal, signing a five-year deal tying him with Lyon until 2027.

L’Equipe report that Lyon would be willing to part ways with Lepenant with Pierre Sage’s Lyon already packed in the midfield department with Corentin Tolisso (29), Nemanja Matic (35), Orel Mangala (26) and Maxence Caqueret (24). On the contrary, head coach Antoine Kombouaré is planning for a full revamp of Nantes’ midfield with Pedro Chirivella (27), Douglas Augusto (27) and Florent Mollet (32) not to be retained, according to Ouest-France.

Nantes have reportedly offered Lyon to pay half of Lepenant’s wages but Les Gones have rejected the loan bid of their Ligue 1 rivals. Talk are expected to continue between the two clubs.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval