OFFICIAL: Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa Returns to Ligue 1 with Olympique Lyonnais
By BBC Sport
Olympique Lyonnais have officially announced the signing of French international Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa from AS Roma. The 26-year-old central defender joins the Ligue 1 side for a fee of €8 million, with an additional €2 million in potential bonuses, and has penned a five-year contract with the club.
After a prolonged pursuit of Nicolas Nkoulou, Lyon turned their attention to Yanga-Mbiwa, who now becomes a key reinforcement for the club as they gear up for their UEFA Champions League campaign.
“I’m very happy to be back in France and very happy to be able to play for OL,” said Yanga-Mbiwa on the club’s official website. “I hope to do great things and have some great times here in Lyon. It’s a very good team that gives opposing clubs a lot of trouble. I’m touched and grateful for the attention the club and its president have shown me.”
Yanga-Mbiwa is best known in France for his time at Montpellier, where he played a pivotal role in the club’s remarkable Ligue 1 title-winning season in 2011–12. Following that success, he moved to the Premier League with Newcastle United in January 2013 but struggled to find consistent form. He then transferred to AS Roma in the summer of 2014, where his playing time was mixed.
Now back in Ligue 1, the four-time capped French international will be eager to reestablish himself and provide stability to Lyon’s backline.
