OL eyes delayed Premier League windfall from former players

Olympique Lyonnais (OL) could see a delayed windfall of more than €15 million from Premier League deals involving former midfielders Bruno Guimarães and Bradley Barcola, despite having sold no current squad members this summer. The club, which began the season under a cautious financial outlook, now anticipates the cash without any new negotiations.

The Lyon summer started under the sign of prudence. Constrained finances, limited recruitment and an absence of a major commercial perspective left the Lyonnais side forced to count every euro. OL seemed condemned to a frugal approach.

Two transfers concerning former players could nevertheless overturn that scenario. Without parting with any current player, the club can now hope to recover more than €15 million. The first sum would come from Bruno Guimarães.

According to Le Progrès, Arsenal are close to signing the Brazilian midfielder for €93 million. When Guimarães left for Newcastle in January 2022, Lyon negotiated a 20 % cut of any future profit; the Magpies paid €50.1 million, creating a €42.9 million gain, of which OL’s share would be €8.58 million.

The clause activates automatically if the transfer proceeds on the announced terms, meaning no fresh negotiation is required. Guimarães was recruited for about €20 million in 2020 and has already generated more than €50 million in value two years later, extending the profitability of a highly valued investment.

The second potential income source is Bradley Barcola, also a product of Lyon’s academy. PSG value him at €170 million, while Liverpool may propose a lower offer; although OL set no resale percentage in 2023, the FIFA solidarity mechanism would grant the club roughly €6.5 million at that price.

Combined, the two mechanisms would bring approximately €15.1 million to the Rhône‑based club, turning an otherwise bleak summer into a deferred treasure. An irony emerges: the Barcola sale occurred under John Textor’s presidency, whereas the Guimarães clause dates back to the Jean‑Michel Aulas era, and the solidarity payment is unrelated to Textor.

The credit and the millions will therefore have to be allocated among the various stakeholders, reflecting the layered nature of the club’s financial recovery.