Lyon (AFP)
First for Karl Toko Ekambi: the former striker from Angers and Villarreal should make his debut with Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday (3:00 p.m.) against the Toulouse red lantern, where he will be responsible for supporting Moussa Dembélé and strengthening a well reduced attacking sector.
"I can't wait to start," said Toko Ekambi at a press conference. For him, "Lyon is a club that does not refuse. It is a pleasure to come back. There is always pressure and the desire to perform immediately."
"He will be in the group. Will he start the match or on the bench? We will see," said coach Rudi Garcia.
The technician noted that the new recruit had not done his first collective training until Thursday. "There is change and even unconscious stress to arrive in a new group but it is still simpler to arrive in a workforce rather in an interesting dynamic."
With the absence of Jeff Reine-Adelaide and even more that of Memphis Depay (14 goals since the start of the season), both seriously injured in one knee, Dembélé remains the only real scorer for OL ( 16 goals, all competitions combined), an uncomfortable situation for Garcia faced with a hellish schedule.
Thirteen matches are planned by March 21, not counting any qualification for the Coupe de France. And among these meetings, a shock against PSG, on February 9, and the double confrontation of the Champions League against Juventus Turin (February 26-March 17).
Loaned until the end of the season by Villarreal (1st Spanish Div.), Karl Toko Ekambi (27 years old) is, in this context, an appreciable reinforcement.
- Lyon anticipates -
"Karl is able to play alone in front or on one side. He will bring us his experience, his speed and his technique and we are also preparing for next season," sports director Juninho said on Tuesday during the player's presentation. .
Because this summer, it will be difficult to retain Dembélé, already sought after by English clubs this winter.
"We wanted a player, versatile and able to score, who can integrate quickly, who speaks French and with the experience of Ligue 1," detailed his side the chief recruiter, Florian Maurice.
And the scoring qualities of KTE in Angers (72 games, 25 goals) as in Villarreal, where he had been playing for eighteen months (62 games, 24 goals) and those recorded at Paris FC (69 games, 21 goals) or Sochaux (82 matches, 26 goals) are indisputable.
Advanced center forward or winger: the versatility of Karl Toko Ekambi should also be an asset for Rudi Garcia who must be careful not to ask too much of the young prodigy Ryan Cherki (16 years old), a pure product of Lyon training.
Le Havre striker (L2), Tino Kadewere (24), whose recruitment has just been formalized, will wait a few months before coming to reinforce the Lyon attack. He must be loaned until June 30 to his Le Havre club, fighting for accession to Ligue 1.
- Adjustments in the middle -
The Lyon transfer window could still emerge quickly in the midfield with the possible arrival of the Brazilian Bruno Guimarães (22, Club Atletico Paranaense), currently seeking qualification for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
However, OL are struggling with Atletico de Madrid on this issue.
Lucas Tousart (22), whose transfer to Hertha Berlin is nearing completion, will remain on loan in Lyon until the end of the season.
"This is not the time to weaken us," warned Tuesday, President Jean-Michel Aulas who wants to see OL strengthen to rebound after a disappointing first half of the season.
© 2020 AFP