The Most Expensive Signing in Lyon’s History
By: Inara | June 16th, 2007This might come as a surprise to some, but according to Lyon, Abdul Kader Keita is now Lyon’s most expensive signing, at €18million. In a previous post, I mentioned that Sonny Anderson was €18million, but it turns out that he was bought for €15million over eight years ago (it’s kind of amazing to consider how little Lyon have spent while still doing relatively well).
Eighteen million is a lot of money, especially for a guy who is going from one Ligue 1 team to another! Normally, that’s the kind of spending you see coming from clubs abroad! But according to Aulas, Houllier wanted Keita last year, as did Lacombe, and Perrin wanted him this year. So for the club, it’s money that is entirely justified. As to whether Keita is worth the entire amount remains to be seen, though when asked about it, he said he felt no pressure because it’s just football.
So says the guy who was chasing a ball around a dusty field in Qatar three years ago.
But to make up for the huge spending on Keita, Lyon purchased Mathieu Bodmer for only €6.25million Euros (thanks to his oh so nifty release clause).
WTF???
How in the world can one of the best midfield prospects in the world, and one of the classiest players in France, be so…cheap???
This is where I point out that Alou Diarra is leaving for around €9million.
I’m so glad that other clubs were too stupid to capitalize on Bodmer. Anyway, to top off this post that has no other purpose than to gloat, here is a peek of what’s to come. Don’t hate.
Losers.
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Comments
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As usual, you’re absolutely right !
Nothing else to say !
Posted from
France
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I think of Lille as Lyon’s satellite club. It only makes sense that way.
Posted from
United States -
Even if Bodmer lasts for just a season in Lyon (I’m expecting 2 max, he’s too good to spend his prime in Ligue 1), Aulas can turn this into an enormous profit. Bastard.
Fiorentina have supposedly taken the led for FC Porto’s Pepe with a 10m euro bid over Chelsea and OL. Tell your boy Aulas to step it up, Pepe’s good. Real good. And I’m becoming genuinely terrified of Fiorentina for Roma.
Posted from
United States -
Thanks Inara for your answer on your preceding post about this transfer, even if most of people let their comments there>>so sorry in fact!
Who do you prefer for next season left side: Camo or Ziani… evenif I am under the impression to have seen an article where Ziani declares his love for OM, and commenting that Ziani already gave his agreement to Anigo….Posted from
United States -
Yeah Mat, no chance for Lyon there, Ziani’s going to Marseille for sure.
Posted from
Canada -
Almost every club in France is Lyon’s satellite club! The only club we don’t seem to be able to ever poach players from is St. Etienne (though we did get Coupet ten years ago!).
And if Bodmer can avoid being the next Diarra/Pedretti/Clement, he will definitely be worth a lot. But even more important, he’ll contribute a lot to Lyon’s play. I can’t wait to see what happens next year.
Hopefully he’ll also get on the French NT. He definitely deserves to be there above Diaby and L. Diarra (as well as Alou!). Of the kids, I think only Toulalan and Nasri deserve their places more.
Chris, the Pepe rumors are circulating in France. I don’t see Fiorentina getting the nod above Chelsea and Lyon, though you never know (Ribery>Bayern). Fiorentina have been going after a LOT of expensive targets (Cris, Pepe, Tiago, Quaresma, etc).
Mat, before Keita was signed for Lyon, Ziani was interested in coming to Lyon. He said that he would love to play with Belhadj and under Perrin, but he won’t come to Lyon to be a squad player. Right now, it’s looking like Marseille will guarantee him more time to play.
I wouldn’t mind Camo either, though with his history of ego problems, it could get difficult.
Posted from
United States -
Well, the only fellow you guys got from Marseille in the past few years is Benoit Pedretti… snicker… So how did he turn out again?
Posted from
Canada -
Pedretti was a good player, so much better than Alou Diarra. His passes were sublime. But he wasn’t good enough to take Juni, Tiago, and M. Diarra’s spot.
Posted from
United States -
Pedretti did a great match against Milan replacing diarra two years ago. He had always a great behaviour though he wasn’t in the manager’s plans, contrary to hum… Alou Diarra?
Posted from
France -
lille is indeed OL’s satellite… and curiously it used to be the other way around, OL being in a way sponsored in their beginnings by lille, that’s where the “olympique” and our traditional kit come from!
but the relationship can’t really be understood unless you know that the n°1 shareholder of OL is jerome seydoux, the oldest of the seydoux clan, of which the youngest brother is michel, who owns… le LOSC.
Posted from
France -
Pedretti was great, i was surprised when he signed but saddened when he left. If he hadnt left then Bodmer would not have been signed. Pedretti has Pirlo like charateristics, but Ged has a tough tme integrated more then just 11 players into a squad. He cant find roles for the other player (Kallstrom, Fabio Santos, Ben Arfa, Benzema, Berthod, Muller, etc) has little effect this season because Ged didnt know how to use them because of his tactic-less coaching style.
Also, Emerse Fae of Nantes should be looked at by Lyon, he is a robust DM with attacking ability but is still young and could be molded into Mamadou’s clone. Me like.Posted from
United States -
The Brotherhood cannot be forgotten. It’s probably one of the reasons why Aulas didn’t balk at spending so much money on Keita – he knew he was robbing them blind with Bodmer!
Posted from
United States
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