Relegated to Ligue 2, Saint-Etienne negotiates Stassin sale with Porto

FC Porto is said to have begun negotiations with AS Saint-Etienne for the transfer of Belgian striker Lucas Stassin, according to Flemish daily Het Nieuwsblad. No official offer is reported to have been submitted to the Greens yet.

At 21 years old, Stassin comes off a solid season despite the club’s relegation to Ligue 2: 11 goals and 8 assists across all competitions. Transfermarkt values him at 15 million euros, a floor that Saint-Etienne’s management should seek to exceed during negotiations.

The matter is not new. The Belgian U21 international was already keen to leave Saint-Etienne last summer, without his departure materializing. The drop to the second division now changes things and makes his stay at the club unlikely.

For Porto, signing Stassin would represent a bet on a young striker in full progression, at a still accessible cost before his market value rises further. Saint-Etienne, for its part, has every interest in monetizing one of its most bankable assets before embarking on its rebuild in Ligue 2.