Goal.com Summer Shopping: Who Should Olympique Lyonnais Buy?

Subs: Vercoutre, Reveillere, Mensah, Bodmer, Pjanic, Erding, Remy

Hartock, Gassama, Kolodzieczak, Valdivia, Mehamha, Grenier, Tafer

In (4):

Aly Cissokho (Porto)

President Jean-Michel Aulas appears obsessed with signing dynamic young full-back Cissokho from Porto and has been reported to have tabled a combined bid for the 21-year-old and fellow Dragoes star Lisandro Lopez that is said to be worth up to €23 million.

Unsurprisingly, this has been rather scoffed at by the Portuguese club.

Sadly for Aulas, he will have to raise that figure by around 50 per cent if he is to claim both men, something that would only become likely if Karim Benzema was to move on this summer.

But Lyon are desperate for a left-back and will likely make a great effort to get the Frenchman, who has enjoyed a rapid ascent to stardom, aided by a sterling performance against Manchester United in the Champions League. Strong full-backs are integral to OL’s game plan, and the former Guingamp star would likely fit in at the Stade Gerland perfectly.

Mevlut Erding (Sochaux)

Karim Benzema has complained that he needs someone to support his efforts in attack. Lyon have largely been without a natural striker since the departure of Fred – there is Frederic Piquionne but he has been an abject flop – and they may look to the French-born Turkish international to provide back-up for ‘Benzinho’ next term.

At just 22-years-old, Erding is still young enough to harbour a great deal of room for improvement in his game. However, he has also proven himself to be one of the most consistent strikers in Ligue 1 over the last two seasons. Back-to-back 11 goal campaigns with a side fighting relegation is a statistic to be proud of.

Les Lionceaux’s president, Alexandre Lacombe, has said that he thinks Erding is in the top five strikers in Ligue 1, placing a valuation of over €10m on the promising youngster’s head. Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the young forward.

Loic Remy (Nice)

Should Remy return to Lyon, just 12 months after he initially left les Gones, it would certainly be rather embarrassing for the establishment of the club, who let the promising youngster fly to les Aiglons for €8m. If they are to lure him back, Lyon will need to pay in excess of that figure.

But OL are in need of additional cover in the wide areas and attack, positions that Remy is perfectly at home in. The 22-year-old is envisaged to be a replacement for Kader Keita but it is also possible that Sidney Govou could leave the club this summer.

Since leaving Lyon last summer, Remy has enjoyed regular first team football with Nice, scoring 11 times, and has made his full international debut, featuring for France in their 1-0 loss against Nigeria.

Patrick Vieira (Inter)

Much was made of the mental strength that Lyon possessed before last season, but a lack of real experience in certain areas of the park prevented them from really pushing on at crucial times in the season. Vieira may be past his peak but Lyon would look for the veteran midfielder to perform a role similar to Makelele at PSG, whereby his very presence in the side instils a calmness throughout the side.

President Aulas has already expressed his interest in the Inter squad man, though he has noted the France captain’s worrying propensity to pick up injuries in recent seasons. At 32-years-old, there is still life in Vieira yet.

Out (5):

Fabio Grosso – The left-back has, surprisingly, fallen down the pecking order at the Stade Gerland, failing to oust Kim Kallstrom from the role at the end of the season. Given the Swede is not known as a full-back, it displays just how far the World Cup winning Italian has fallen in Puel’s eyes.

Kim Kallstrom – There can be no doubts about the Swede’s commitment, energy, or, to a certain extent, his ability. However, Kallstrom is simply too good to spend his career warming OL’s bench, and he is not quite good enough for their first team squad. A player of his calibre deserves regular first team football and a summer move will likely ensure he gets it.

Juninho – The time is up for the iconic Brazilian, who won a phenomenal seven league titles at OL. He has graced the Stade Gerland brilliantly during his time in France, but he has announced that it’s time to move on. His showings were on the wane last season, so it’s probably a wise decision. The free-kick master, who scored 100 times for les Gones, has yet to announce where he will be playing next season.

Cesar Delgado – The Argentine is by no means guaranteed to move on this summer, as he showed enough potential under Puel last year after a difficult start in France. An €11m signing from Cruz Azul in January 2008, Delgado started to look the part for a period last season but an adductor injury cut his improvement short. If Lyon need to create space in their squad, he will likely be shipped on.

Kader Keita – A €16 million capture from Lille, Keita has failed horribly to live up to his price tag, paying back only a fraction of his transfer fee with good performances. Injury restricted him to 22 Ligue 1 appearances last season, but these were mostly of the ineffective variety, with the Ivorian contributing just one goal. After his first season in Lyon, which was much of the season, OL will look to ship this expensive flop on.

Anthony Mounier – Youth product has shown his potential in flashes in the first team. The wide-based attacker will likely confirm a move away from the club in the coming days – Lyon will not hope he is another Remy.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com