The goalkeeper was included in the preliminary squad for Mali but according to Sports News Africa will not join up with his national side when they compete in the upcoming tournament. 

Samassa has excelled at the Ligue 2 side since arriving in the summer as a free agent, and will reportedly reject his international duties in favour of remaining with Laval while the competition takes place. 

In a quotation provided by France Bleu, the president of Laval, Laurent Lairy, referred to a ‘moral agreement’ that the goalkeeper made when he joined the club, where it is alleged that Samassa assured the club during negotiations that he would refuse to compete in the tournament. 

What could be described as a creative solution to a lengthy absence for Samassa will likely not work as intended. Refusing an international call-up without the agreement of the national federation could lead to a ban and a sanction imposed on the player as it contravenes FIFA regulations. 

GFFN | Nick Hartland 

The Savoy side, who eliminated Marseille in the Coupe de France quarter-finals, lost to Paris FC last Friday night. They are 16th and, as of now, safe. But their survival is now out of their hands following the suspension and cancellation of the Bordeaux vs Rodez game. Rodez are 17th and currently in the drop zone. But RAF were leading 1-0 against Les Girondins when their goal-scorer was assaulted by a Bordeaux fan. The league authorities will convene on Monday to adjudicate on the game’s result. Rodez are likely to be be declared winners. Should that be the case, they would be safe and Annecy would join Niort, Nîmes and Dijon in the third tier.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

Laval are known for having developed players such as Serhou Guirassy and Nordi Mukiele. The latter is now plying his trade at Paris Saint-Germain. However, the club’s academy has since closed. Lairy has said that should the club remain in Ligue 2 next season, the centre will re-open, but with a catch. 

Should players want to join the academy, they will have to pay between €1500 and €2000, the president has announced. Lairy explained his controversial decision. “It’s a choice and I stand by it. I want the parents to financially contribute to the young player’s integration. I’m fed up with everything being free in football. Nobody respects anybody and I will therefore ask for a financial contribution,” he said. 

Stade Laval are currently 15th in Ligue 2 and therefore set to avoid the drop into the National 1. Afer 26 games played, they have 31 points, six more than Rodez, who occupy the final relegation place. The chances of the club’s academy centre re-opening are therefore strong, but it won’t be accessible to all. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Solet left Lyon in 2020 to join the Red Bull side, where he has won the Austrian Bundesliga on two occasions, completing the double with the Austrian cup last season – in which he made 33 appearances as a regular starter at 22 years old.

Last season also gave Solet the chance to play in the Champions League, where he featured  in a tough group which included games against Sevilla, Wolfsburg, Lille and German giants Bayern Munich. 

At international level the centre-back has appeared 12 times for France’s U20 side, but only twice for the U20 team. At Laval Solet made 15 appearances in the National 1, and after a move to Lyon made 37 appearances in total for Les Gones’ B team, only appearing four times for the senior side. 

GFFN

After a 3-0 win over Chambly this evening, the club from Western France attained an unassailable lead in the race for promotion from France’s third division, National, led by Laval with two games to play.

A prominent top tier side in the late seventies and early eighties, Laval haven’t been part of Ligue 1 since they were relegated in 1989.

Annecy currently sit second, three points back in the second automatic promotion spot, while Villfranche lie third, a further four points behind.

The current Laval (3rd division) prospect will shortly pen a deal on professional terms with Les Gones, in a move that sees OL beat Juventus, who were in pole position for several weeks, to the punch.

This deal has been orchestrated by Lyon’s Head of Scouting Florian Maurice, for a player in Wissa who has played for France at U16 level.

Ndilu has signed a 5-year contract with Les Canaris and has played 13 matches as a French youth international, scoring 3 goals in his time with his country.

The signing should be seen as a coup, as they beat Juventus to the teenager’s signing, who had been ready to spend €4m in order to acquire the Frenchman last summer. The deal was all set to be closed, before a last minute complication relating to agent commissions.

Ignored by François Ciccolini, he was played again by Pascal Braud in a 4-4-2, which enabled Ndilu to play 16 matches and score 4 goals in the National.

Les Canaris have not had to pay a transfer fee for the Frenchman, as he is now a free agent. Despite interest from Valencia and other French top flight clubs, Ndilu decided to join Nantes and signs as their second choice attacker behind Kalifa Coulibaly for the time being.

The Stade Lavallois forward currently plies his trade in the French 3rd division but is in the process of agreeing a mutual termination package with his current employers to allow him to move the United States on a free transfer.

Bosetti has two offers on the table, one from MLS side Orlando City, the other from American 2nd division outfit Oklahoma City.

Bosetti has had an obsession with spending a portion of his career in the United States for some time, having endured a failed trial with the New York Red Bulls back in 2017.

The player has also agreed to a 4-year contract with the Old Lady, but the deal is currently blocked because of commission demands, according to the outlet.

The French U18 youth international is also interesting Nottingham Forest, but Laval want at least for €1.5m to part with the player, and fee negotiations continue.