(foto: Getty Images)
Lens prematurely announced Pau Lopez as their new goalkeeper following the sale of Brice Samba, but Girona is refusing to terminate Lopez’s loan early, leaving Lens without a first-choice keeper.
The French first division club Lens finds itself in an awkward situation after selling its former first-choice goalkeeper, Brice Samba, to Rennes for 14 million euros. The plan was to replace Samba with Pau Lopez, currently on loan at Girona from Marseille. However, Girona is unwilling to cut Lopez’s loan short, creating a major issue for Lens, which is now without a recognized goalkeeper.
While Lens was confident in securing Lopez’s return, the Catalan club has opted to keep the Spaniard until at least the end of the month. Complicating matters further, Girona holds an option to buy Lopez at the end of the season for a pre-agreed fee with Marseille, making it unlikely they will release him early without proper compensation.
Interestingly, Lopez has not been a key player for Girona this season. He has only appeared in cup matches, where Girona’s campaign ended in the second round. Despite his limited role, Girona insists on keeping him, likely due to their long-term interest in retaining the player.
Lens is now facing significant embarrassment after officially presenting Lopez as their new goalkeeper, despite the deal not being finalized. With no senior goalkeeper currently available, the club must quickly find a solution before their next match.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Lopez’s availability, Lens may have to explore other options to fill the goalkeeper position if they cannot reach an agreement with Girona soon.