Highly anticipated after an incredible season, the RC Lens summer transfer window turned out to be more complicated than expected. If the Artesian club managed to retain Kevin Danso, it could not do anything for Seko Fofana and Loïs Openda. After a few months spent in their new team, the first assessment of the summer recruits is mixed to say the least. With the CAN looming and the departure of several executives, Lens will have to strengthen itself and two positions have been identified by the recruitment unit and by Franck Haise.
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This is essentially what the coach and general manager of RC Lens explained at a press conference a few days ago. “The teams are working on it», affirmed Franck Haise. “We meet regularly to discuss players who are likely to come for six months or more. There is a global projection with the African Cup, the Asian Cup, the South American U23 competition. We potentially have seven to eight players absent during the month of January and part of the month of February. (…) Seven absent out of a squad of 21, the count is quick to do…”
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A midfielder expected this winter
For the latter, who knows that he could not count on seven recruits, the recruitment of a left back as well as a midfielder have been made a priority for the winter transfer window. In the middle, it will be a question of compensating for the departures for the African Cup of Nations of Nampalys Mendy with Senegal and that of Salis Abdul Samed with Ghana. If for the moment, no name has yet filtered, but Lens is prospecting in particular abroad and targeting experienced players.
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But the other major project and not the least is the recruitment of a left back. Deiver Machado operated on both adductors and missed for a good two months, Przemysław Frankowski must help out. Machado’s natural replacement, Faitout Maouassa clearly raises questions internally and clearly does not fit into the plans of Franck Haise who has only used him once since his arrival and that was in September.
Bruno Onyemaechi followed… Souleyman Doumbia too
Lens is therefore working on the arrival of a new left side. The club still follows Bruno Onyemaechi (24 years old) from Boavista. A path initiated at the very end of the summer transfer window as we revealed to you and which is very popular internally. But problem, the Nigerian defender, international since September and who performs in Portugal, has a good chance of playing the CAN with his country and it is difficult to imagine the 2022-23 vice-champion of France advancing on a player who he does not will not be able to count until next February. Another name emerges and has the immense advantage of being free from any contract.
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According to our information, Lens is seriously considering recruiting Souleyman Doumbia (27 years old) this winter. The former Rennes and Angers player, free since his departure from SCO last summer, is training with a physical trainer and waiting for the right offer. After being close to joining an English club a few weeks ago, Doumbia could join a club which had already thought about him last summer. The Ivorian rocket trained at PSG could be perfect in this role of left piston and could take advantage of the international break to be operational quickly. To be continued.
Pub. 12/12/2023 1:30 p.m. Updated 12/12/2023 1:53 p.m.
2023-12-12 12:30:47
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