Tolisso - "I really like the competition in England and Italy"

TRANSFER TALK

We are continually being linked with Olympique Lyonnais players because they have an excellent youth system and the latest to come to our attention is 22-year-old (23 in August) French international ( he has 1 cap) central midfielder Corentin Tolisso.

French paper L'Equipe have kindly added our name to a growing list. He has numerous suitors from around Europe and in July 2016 he was subject to a £31.4 million (€37.5m - AUS$42.87m - US$32.18m) bid from Serie A side Napoli.

Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Arsenal and Manchester City are all believed to be interested with Manchester City and ourselves both having made contact with Lyon apparently. The right-footed Tolisso is under contract until 2020 having signed a new contract in July 2015.

The French newspapers suggests a valuation £37.68 million (€45m - AUS$64.29m - US$48.32m) which isn't a million miles away from the claimed Napoli bid. Transfermarkt have him valued at just below half that figure which would seem more sensible. as we have seen with Clinton N'Jie and Georges-Kevin N'Koudou potential doesn't always translate, or at least not fast enough, so to pay vast sums for something a player hasn't achieved yet isn't really a viable business model.

You can't buy every player, but you have to search a lot and discuss a lot to find the right player with potential at the right price. Everyone isn't Dele Alli, but he shows what can be done with astute transfer dealing. He has prospered because of his mentality so we should place great store by assessing every youngster mentally, who really wants to work to improve and who is going to think they have made it when they get a fat premier League cheque as opposed to wages in countries where money is less abundant in football.


That Tweet clearly shows he is open to a move and you can see from the image above that he was included in this weeks UEFA Team of the Week.

Interviewed by Téléfoot (French football programme produced by TF1 Production for TF1), Jean-Michel Aulas (owner and chairman) explained that a possible qualification in the UEFA Champions League, via the UEFA Europa League, could give ideas to Corentin Tolisso about his future.

"If we manage to do something fantastic with this group, already eliminate Besiktas and who knows, to qualify again for the Champions League, at that time, maybe Corentin will want to continue."

"They're big clubs, we'll see it in the summer, so it's hard to say no to a club like Juventus. However, I will see what is best of me and will make the right decision later.I have not talked to the president, so I do not know what he will say. 

"There are many leagues that I prefer, for example, I really like the competition in England and Italy, But more importantly, I can be in the best shape when playing in the World Cup with France."