British media: Lyon was forcibly relegated by Ligue 1, Premier League teams took the opportunity to "buy at the bottom"

With the French Ligue 1 powerhouse Lyon being confirmed to be relegated to the Ligue 2 League, the club was in a serious financial crisis, and the Premier League team quickly smelled the opportunity. According to the Times, several Premier League clubs including Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea are ready to join the battle for Lyon players.

Currently, Lyon has more than 400 million euros in debt and its financial situation is worrying. To relieve the pressure, they had to consider selling multiple main players. For Premier League teams, this is undoubtedly a good time to sign potential new stars at a reasonable price.

Among them, 20-year-old Marik Fofana became a popular figure in the transfer market this summer. The Belgian winger performed well in the 2024/25 season, making 41 appearances and contributing 11 goals and 6 assists, making him one of the team's most impressive players. His value is estimated to be between 30 million and 40 million euros, attracting the attention of Villa and Chelsea. Fofana himself also expressed his desire to go to the Premier League to develop, hoping to follow Jeremy Doku's footsteps and show himself on a higher stage.

In addition to Forfana, Ghana striker Ernest Nouma is also a key goal of Premier League teams. He almost joined Fulham last season and was highly praised for his outstanding speed and dribbling ability. His current value is about 20 million euros, which is an ideal choice for mid-level teams that need to strengthen the front line but have a limited budget.

In addition, Lyon may also sell experienced players such as Ironsley Maitland Niles, Nemania Matic and Jordan Veretu.

Previously, to alleviate financial pressure, Lyon had sold several core players. For example, Said bin Lahma transferred to the Saudi professional league NEOM team for 15 million euros, while Rennes Cherki joined Manchester City for 40 million euros. At the same time, the club also terminated its contract early with two veterans, Lacazette and Taliafico, to reduce salary expenditure.

With relegation becoming a foregone conclusion, Lyon is likely to usher in a larger lineup adjustment. Premier League teams are expected to gain a lot of cost-effective signings in this "talent sale".