Lyon (AFP)

Guimaraes, Caqueret, Reine-Adelaïde or Kadewere, promises of the future: without European competition and with a workforce to redesign, Lyon will start again on new bases to bounce back in Ligue 1 from Friday and try to regain the Champions League from next season.

The elimination, last Wednesday in the semi-final of C1 against Bayern Munich (3-0) winner of the event, marked the end of a cycle at OL, 7th in the last championship truncated by the coronavirus pandemic .

Sportingly, it is necessary to downsize an excessively large workforce which will only play a maximum of 44 games over the season if Lyon goes to the end in the Coupe de France, while part of the recruitment was anticipated last winter.

Financially, we have to face the consequences of the health crisis, the interruption of the championship in March but also the absence of the club on the European scene for the first time since 1997.

"We have a base and we have to work from it, even if there is a risk of departures when we see the level of some of our players in Lisbon", reacted sporting director Juninho after the defeat against Bayern.

Thus, the transfers of Houssem Aouar and Moussa Dembélé are expected, that of Memphis Depay, who has only one year of contract and has not yet regained his level since his knee surgery in December, also. The departure of Bertrand Traoré, unused in Lisbon, is, for his part, desired.

- New blood -

In the departures department, Olympique Lyonnais has already recorded those of Lucas Tousart (25 M EUR, Hertha Berlin), Martin Terrier (12 M EUR, Rennes) and hopes not to have to regret that of Amine Gouiri in Nice for 7 M EUR where he has just scored two goals against Lens (2-1) on Sunday.

It is especially at the heart of the game that OL should leave with new blood.

The Brazilian Bruno Guimaraes, arrived in January from Athletico Paranaense, will have to confirm his rapid integration, while Maxence Caqueret, trained at the club, appears to have won.

Transferred from Angers for 25 million euros a year ago, Jeff Reine-Adelaide is expected in attacking midfielder. Often a substitute before seriously injuring a knee, he finally played little.

In attack, the Zimbabwean Tino Kadewere, who signed in January before being left on loan at Le Havre (L2) to finish the season, will have to be as efficient as Dembélé if he actually leaves, just like Karl Toko Ekambi, also a recruit of the winter.

And at 17, Rayan Cherki could also gain playing time but still has everything to prove as a return of Spanish center forward Mariano Diaz (Real Madrid), to the club in 2017-2018 with 21 goals scored, begins to be mentioned.

- Second chances -

If OL finally gave pledges in defense in August, several players in this sector have only one year of contract such as the Brazilians Marcelo (33), Fernando Marçal (31) or the Dutchman Kenny Tete ( 24 years old) and their future remains in limbo.

They are three, Tete, Rafael (30) and Léo Dubois, for the only right-back position, and one of the first two should leave.

In addition, this season will make it possible to judge definitively whether the expensive recruitment of last summer was missed. Coach Sylvinho only stayed for two months before being replaced by Rudi Garcia.

Because none of the players engaged a year ago was in the starting lineup of the four matches in August. Dane Joachim Andersen, transferred from Sampdoria in Genoa for EUR 24m excluding bonus, Brazilians Thiago Mendes (Lille, EUR 22m) and Jean Lucas (Flamengo, EUR 8m) will have a second chance.

Youssouf Koné (Lille, 9 M EUR), injured this winter, could for his part already leave, supplanted on the left lane by Maxwel Cornet and perhaps by Melvin Bard (19), a youngster trained at the club ... if he doesn't go to Bayern.

© 2020 AFP