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According to a report from SPOX, it looks as if Jerome Boateng is signing for Olympique Lyon. Per Fabrizio Romano, all of the terms have been agreed upon and Boateng his completed his medical. He will join the Ligue 1 side on a free transfer until 2023. Lyon boss Peter Bosz knows Boateng quite well from his tenures managing both Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga:
Jerome Boateng agreement with OL is done and completed. First part of medical ok, second part in Lyon in the next 24 hours. The deal will be announced once everything is signed - he’s a free agent so no rush. #OL #DeadlineDay
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 31, 2021
Boateng’s Bayern Munich contract expired at the end of June, and until now, he was technically a free agent. As Romano alluded to, because he is a free agent, there is no frantic rush to get everything done and finalized. He had been linked with several other clubs, including Hertha Berlin where his brother now plays, but a move to Ligue 1 was perhaps one of the more unexpected options.
BFW Analysis
While Ligue 1 isn’t exactly where Boateng was expected to wind up, for him, personally, it’s good that he’s found a club in a top five league. It was unclear from the time his Bayern contract expired whether he would be joining a club in a top five European league or going abroad.
Much like the situation with David Alaba, Boateng had wanted higher wages than Bayern was willing to offer when they were looking at potentially renewing his contract. Hansi Flick was a big proponent of Boateng’s and it caused discrepancies between himself and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, who ultimately was the one who told Boateng they would not be renewing his contract. He did so ahead of the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League knockout stages. Had it been 100% up to Flick, Boateng’s contract at Bayern might’ve been extended.
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Unfortunately for Boateng, while he’s still found a club within Europe’s top five leagues, Lyon did not qualify for the Champions League, only the Europa League. This might squander his chances of being called up to the German national team, even though Flick is now in charge.
For now, Boateng joins Liverpool’s Xherdan Shaqiri as the latest incoming transfers for Lyon, who are currently 9th in Ligue 1 after four matches played.
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