Lyon target Loïs Openda, striker in freefall after Juventus disaster

Lyon have moved for 26-year-old Belgian striker Loïs Openda, currently on loan at Juventus, where his season has been a disaster. According to Sky Sport Italia, the Gones are studying a deal that could take the form of a loan with an option to buy.

Openda has scored just two goals in 34 appearances in the Bianconeri shirt, and has barely played in the last three months of competition. This drop in form cost him his place in the Belgian national team for the World Cup under Rudi Garcia. Juventus had signed him for over €42 million last summer; Transfermarkt now values him at €25 million.

Yet the profile of the former RC Lens player remains attractive on paper. He burst onto the Ligue 1 scene in the 2022-2023 season with 21 goals for RC Lens, before confirming his quality in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig before his Turin adventure fell apart.

Lyon are not alone in the race: AS Monaco and Eintracht Francfort are also interested, both on the basis of a loan with option to buy. Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, would prefer an outright transfer.

On the Lyon side, the financial context remains tight despite the sale of Afonso Moreira to Bayer Leverkusen for over €30 million, which offers more comfortable room for manoeuvre than in the previous transfer window. After a 2025-2026 season spent under the threat of relegation to Ligue 2, the club remains under scrutiny from French football authorities and must work with limited resources. A loan deal for Openda, whose market value has halved in a year, would fit precisely this logic of opportunity at minimal risk.