The football experts of the transfer market - Lille OSC knows how to sell players for their highest value
Not long ago, Lille recorded the most expensive sale of a defender in Ligue1 history with the transfer of Leni Yoro to Manchester United. And yet, this transfer was simply the next step of a series of sales that reveal LOSC's awesome understanding and organization around business in football!
By KONSTANTINOS ZALIARIS
The Lillois did lose the 18-year-old footballer who moved to United, but they made the biggest possible profit, with the player still having just one year left on his contract.
He was sold for €62 million, a record fee for a defender from Ligue 1, and this development continued a series of excellent choices made by the French club in terms of the players that are being sold and the income that the team gets.
Eden Hazard was a product of the club's academies and once he decided to take the next step and dazzle in a Chelsea shirt, he was sold for €35 million. Of course later, he got a transfer of 100 million to Real, but he never showed his best version and now he is a veteran and enjoying life early.
From Lille's infrastructure departments, Yoro was also the one who put 62 million into the club with his departure, while one of the most characteristic sales of the French was that of Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal in 2019. He was acquired for 18 million euros and left for 80 million. to then become the most expensive purchase in the Gunners' history, until Declan Rice arrived (for the full cost of his own transfer).
Amandou Onanas was acquired by the "Lillois" for just 13.5 million euros from Hamburg, he then went to Everton for 40 million in 2022 and this year he cost 60 million to Aston Villa!
In 2019, Lille had identified the "diamond" from the Ivory Coast, named Victor Oshimen. The club believed in him and gave 22.4 million euros to Charleroi. A year later they sold him for 77.5 million to Napoli and he managed to become one of the greatest heroes of the 2023 Serie A champions, celebrating the conquest of the top for the first time since the Maradona years.
At "Pierre - Mauroy" Rafael Leao cost 20.2 million when he was transfered there and when he left to play in Milan he made Lille gain 49.5 million euros.
And Arsenal's Gabriel, who has emerged as one of the Premier League's top defenders, cost only 3 million in 2017 and the Gunners made him theirs in 2020 for 26 million.
It was excellent for Lille and the deal for Sven Boatman who, before he wore the Newcastle shirt for 37 million, had cost the French team only 8 million euros!