The outlet understands that the former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder expressed his wish to leave the Ligue 1 club when returning from his holidays, on December 28th. Matić, a father of three, has previously lamented the fact he could not enrol his children at an international school in Rennes. The problem is that there is no international school in Rennes. This misunderstanding has reportedly angered the club’s owner – French billionaire and luxury mogul François Pinault.

Lyon and Marseille pushing to sign Matić

Ouest-France adds that Pinault, as well as the club’s executives, have no intention of letting go of Matić after only four months in Brittany. The pill would be even harder to swallow should a rival Ligue 1 club were to swoop in. It has been previously reported that Lyon were targeting the former Premier League player. Ouest-France adds that Les Gones have the financial means to lure Matić out of Brittany and that Lyon have progressed in their attempts to sign him.

Lyon are set to face competition from Marseille. Allowing Matić to leave would be another setback for the Bretons, who are only tenth in the league.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

Lyon’s interest in Benrahma has been known for several days and talks have begun over a potential deal. Any deal completed for the former Brentford attacking midfielder will be difficult due to several intermediaries involved. Benrahma was said to be tempted by the prospect of joining OL, but since OM has joined the race for his signature – they have emerged as favourites.

A potential loan with a purchase option

Any deal which sees Benrahma donning an OM shirt in the second half of the Ligue 1 season is likely to be a difficult one to complete. Les Olympiens’ transfer business will be monitored by the DNCG in the January transfer window. Therefore, a permanent deal in the winter window looks likely. A loan deal with an option to buy looks a more probable option, L’Équipe reports.

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Since signing for Les Rouges et Noirs in the summer transfer window from Roma, things haven’t gone to plan for Matic in the North of France. The former Chelsea defensive midfielder and his family have not adapted to life in Rennes, prompting the 35-year-old to look towards the exit door in the winter window. 

Lyon are keen to bolster their options in the defensive midfield department in January and the former Manchester United midfielder is seen as their desired profile. The Serbian international has lots of experience and offers a physicality currently lacking from the Les Gones midfield. OL are also showing an interest in Baptiste Santamaria from Rennes, according to L’Équipe.

Stéphan wants Matic to stay

Despite wanting to leave the club, Julien Stéphan would like Nemanja Matic to stay at Roazhon Park, L’Équipe reports. Matic has not formally requested to leave the club but his intentions to move to new surroundings appear to be clear. With Lyon interested in his service but Rennes holding a reluctance to let him leave, it remains to be seen whether OL will get their man in defensive midfield. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Diomandé came through the ranks at Lyon and whilst he featured prominently at the start of the season, starting 10 out of the first 12 games of the Ligue 1 campaign, he has not featured in the last five and hasn’t even been included in the squad on three of those occasions.

It is clear that the Ivory Coast international does not feature in the plans of interim manager Pierre Sage, whose spell as head coach could be extended until the end of the current campaign. 

OL are also looking to strengthen defensively, which will bump Diomandé further down the pecking order. He is therefore set to be seeking a new challenge in January. Lyon have set a €7m asking price on the centre-back, who at the age of 22 already has 11 caps for Ivory Coast. That price is certain to attract interested parties. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Since leaving Olympiacos on a free transfer in the summer, M’Vila has made his intentions clear. The financial aspect of his next move is not of interest, he simply wants to find the right project for him. Recently, M’Vila has stepped up his media duties in order to put himself back on the market. 

M’Vila unwilling to drop down the divisions, but with one exception

In an appearance on Prime Video Sport, M’Vila said that he believes that his qualities are “compatible” with Lyon and Marseille, adding that he would be open to a move to either club. 

However, M’Vila wouldn’t be open to dropping down to Ligue 2, or any other lower division, with one exception. “I don’t need the money, I just want to play, but not in Ligue 2, or in lower divisions, apart from Sunderland, in order to help them get back to the Premier League. I had an extraordinary year there,” he told Le Progrès. 

The former France international played 40 times for the Black Cats during his only season at the club, however, he is seemingly willing to sacrifice wages in order to make a return.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

In order to get themselves out of the hole they have dug, Lyon are preparing to spend considerably in January. One of the positions targeted is a winger. As reported by L’Équipe, West Ham United’s Saïd Benrahma is a target, as is Danjuma. The Dutch winger has played 15 times for Everton this season, starting six games and scoring two goals. 

Danjuma is not playing a central role for Sean Dyche’s side, however, he could at Lyon, who are considering making a bid to parent club Villarreal. OL are looking to launch a loan bid that would include the option to make the deal permanent for €15m. Should the La Liga side ask for more, a straight six-month loan would then be offered. However, it could prove difficult for Lyon to convince Villarreal to break the current loan agreement with Everton to then send Danjuma to the Groupama Stadium. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

L’Équipe reported last week that Benrahma would be tempted by a move to Lyon, who are looking to invest heavily in January in order to stave off relegation to Ligue 2. However, OM could now be set to compete for the Algerian international’s signature.

Sevilla’s Suso a target? 

The club will be without Amine Harit, Ismaïla Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye during January due to AFCON, whilst Joaquín Correa has not featured since picking up an ankle injury against Ajax in late November. Marseille’s medical staff are not taking any chances with the injury, and a return date is yet to be set. 

Marseille are therefore looking to sign a winger, and according to L’Équipe, two targets have been identified: Benrahma and Suso (30). However, Foot Mercato report that OM are not currently exploring a move for the Sevilla winger. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The Italian journalist reports that Mejbri will not participate in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast. The Tunisian international is attracting interest from three clubs in Europe. All three would want the midfielder to be available during January and February, hence the uncertainty surrounding Mejbri’s AFCON participation. 

Manchester United will allow Mejbri to leave on loan. Lyon are interested in taking the Tunisian international on loan until the end of the season. Les Gones are looking to recruit considerably in January, in order to stave off relegation to Ligue 2. However, OL could face competition for Mejbri’s signature. Sevilla and Freiburg also both have an interest in the midfielder, who is currently negotiating a contract extension with formative club Manchester United. His current deal expires at the end of the season, although there is an option to extend for a further year included in his contract. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The attacking midfielder is struggling to find game time in an outstanding Leverkusen side, as his profile doesn’t correspond to what is asked of Xabi Alonso’s double pivot, composed of Granit Xhaka (31) and Exequiel Palacios (25), while Florian Wirtz (20) is irreplaceable in the 10 role. For those reasons, Amiri has only made 14 appearances so far this season, starting four, and may be looking to find a new club this winter.

Amiri had already found an agreement with Marseille last summer

The German’s next destination could therefore be in France, as both Olympiques are looking to add them to their ranks. Marseille had even reportedly found an agreement with the player during the summer, but their failure to qualify for the Champions League meant the club lacked funds to finalise the deal at the time. Les Phocéens are back for a second try, however this time, they are accompanied by their French rivals OL, who will also look to strengthen their squad after a disappointing first half to the season.

On the other side of things, Bayer Leverkusen may be reluctant to let go of Amiri in the winter, as they look ahead to the AFCON during which they will undoubtedly be severely weakened, missing out on Edmond Tapsoba (24), Odilon Kossounou (22),  Victor Boniface (23), Amine Adli (23) and Nathan Tella (24), who are all important members of the squad.

GFFN | Alfred Lalande

The forward signed last January in a €10 million move between the sister clubs. The Brazilian side is owned by John Textor, the American businessman, who also holds a majority share with the French club.

Despite representing the biggest sale in Botafogo’s history when he joined Lyon, this transfer was far from a popular move in Brazil, as Textor received a wave of death threats from supporters in reaction to the news. 

However, after a disappointing time in France, there must be some positivity from Botafogo’s fans now that Jeffinho could be loaned back to the club where he had previously excelled. 

There have been moments in the young Brazilian’s time at Lyon that have shown his promise, but they have been far too inconsistent, and this move in the upcoming transfer window could represent an opportunity for Jeffinho to refind his form. 

GFFN | Nick Hartland