Olympique Lyonnais remains hopeful of securing a deal for Nicolas Nkoulou despite missing out on the Cameroonian defender during the recent transfer window. Nkoulou, who is currently under contract with Olympique de Marseille until June 2016, has an option to move to Lyon in the January transfer period.
Ahead of the highly anticipated Ligue 1 clash between the two Olympique clubs on Matchday 6, Bernard Lacombe, advisor to Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, addressed the situation with a touch of irony in an interview with the website Le Phocéen.
“We already missed Nkoulou when OM recruited him from Monaco, and we missed him again this year. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to come to us (laughs). He’s a very interesting player, but Mapou will grow in power,” Lacombe said.
For Lyon, the missed opportunity to sign Nkoulou is a cause for some regret, especially as Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, his current defensive replacement, has yet to fully meet expectations. Yanga-Mbiwa’s absence from tonight’s match due to a sore adductor injury adds further complications for the club ahead of the derby showdown.
The situation leaves Lyon still hoping that January could present another chance to bring Nkoulou to the club and bolster their defensive line.
