Will Brice Samba leave Lens? The French international, native of Linzolo in Congo-Brazzaville, who asked to leave the northern club, is for the moment retained by its leaders, for whom a departure of the captain would have major economic and sporting consequences, against a backdrop of questions of bruised egos.
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It’s the soap opera of this start of the transfer window in France, with several twists and turns already. After days of persistent rumors, Lens coach Will Still confirmed it to the press on Friday: “Brice Samba has made it known that he wishes to leave the club”, despite the international goalkeeper having three and a half years of contract remaining. French (three selections). Consequently, it is already certain that the 30-year-old player, considered by his Lens teammate Angelo Fulgini as “ one of the best goalkeepers in the world », will not play against Toulouse on Sunday (6 p.m. UT) during the 16th day of Ligue 1.
Will Still had the right to an exchange with his captain, like “ a big boy », imagined the Lensois coach. “ He told me “coach, I received an offer, here is what I want to do“. From the moment the choice is made, there isn’t much left to discuss.. ” According to The Teamthe agreement between the two clubs would be between 12 and 15 million euros.
The technician even insisted to the press: “ Keeping a player who no longer wants to be there is not necessarily a good thing for a locker room “. But the transfer window being what it is, a few hours after these declarations, Friday afternoon, the general director of the club Pierre Dréossi tempered: “ Nothing is done. (…) We will speak out when he is gone and if he leaves. »
A story of wounded egos?
Because since then, the agreement in principle with Stade Rennes mentioned by several media has been put on the shelf, according to information from RMC. The sports media even claims that the reason for the cancellation of the deal would be the “communication policy” of Stade Rennais.
A few days earlier, the Breton club had published a video to formalize the arrival of the Ivorian Seko Fofana in its ranks. In the presentation clip there are several references to the Lensois club, where Fofana was a major player, which was experienced as a provocation by some of the supporters. And by management, according to this information. For its part, Lens confirms: “ It’s at a standstill. »
It’s still complicated to imagine the Blues’ number two goalkeeper staying on the Lens bench for the entire second part of the season. In view of the financial context – management mentioned in The Voice of the North a need to sell players for 40 million euros by the end of January – Can Lens deprive themselves of the departure of this major element? Especially since Will Still, who will start Hervé Koffi against Toulouse in the artesian cages, has already mentioned a “ recruitment in progress » to compensate for the future transfer of its captain.
A blind transfer window
The coach knows the song and knew when he arrived last summer “ that frames from the period before (him) were going to leave the club “. “ It must have been the case with Kevin (Danso, whose transfer to AS Rome finally collapsed last summer, Editor’s note), it will still be with other players “, he developed.
While Abdukodir Khusanov, Danso and Facundo Medina are being courted, Lens is groping forward in this transfer window where rumors are rife. Still still wants to be ambitious and Fulgini affirms that the potential departure of Samba does not give “ everyone wants to leave “. “ It’s up to us to mourn and accept these things “, he commented. It will take at least that to continue to believe in European places.