Jozy to Lyon? Say it isn’t so!

By: Inara | January 4th, 2008

A very interesting article appeared in my inbox today. I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the website nor can I confirm the rumor (which basically means it was probably invented by a MLS fan boy with an overactive imagination), but apparently Lyon might be possibly sort of interested in Jozy Altidore, who is the MLS’s next ~~superstar~~ young talent after Freddy Adu.

Umm, as much as I would love to see my countrymen playing in the parts of Europe not called Britain, I have serious doubts about their place anywhere near Lyon. So as fun as the Altidore rumors are, I would rather have Cesar Delgado times 100.

Speaking of Delgado, his transfer has stalled because Lyon still haven’t gotten rid of Fred. I’m guessing Cris still hasn’t received his Portuguese citizenship because Lyon’s four EU spots are currently filled (Fred, Cris, Fabio Santos, and Anderson).

Fred is pretty much gone. He hasn’t showed up for practice yet, and the club aren’t that upset either. In fact, Lyon are doing their best to get rid of him, to the extent that they are willing to part with him for €10m, which is quite a discount from his purchase price from Cruzeiro, which was €15m.

Though Sao Paulo is trying really hard to get Fabio Santos, according to Bernard Lacombe on RMC, our not-so-new secret weapon will be staying.

Loic Remy, who has been subject to several loan offers, has decided to stay at Lyon for the remainder of the season.

After refusing Milan’s €34m offer for Karim Benzema, Lyon have also thumbed their noses at Chelsea’s willingness to put down €40m. Good for you, Jean-mimi. See, Lyon don’t need the money.

Nadir Belhadj is about to be sold to Lens. He wants regular playing time, but since he can’t displace Fabio Grosso at the moment, he would rather leave than stay at Lyon. I think this is a very big shame because I like Belhadj and think he’s a great player. But he should be more patient - last year was his first year in the top flight - he can’t just walk into a starting position at a Champions League club. Also, I’m not quite sure how Lyon managed it, but Belhadj was sold for €3.6m, though he was purchased from Sedan for €3.24m. I’m guessing Lyon are trying to make up for the sum they will eventually lose for Fred.

That’s it for now. I’ll have more when I get back to Boston this Sunday. Also, my posting to this blog will be more sporadic this month due to my having taken over the Ghana World Cup blog. With the African Cup of Nations just around the corner (and the fact that I know next to nothing about Ghana), I’ll be doing my best to keep up with both Lyon and the Black Stars.