Olympique Lyonnais have officially announced the signing of Orel Mangala (26) after they revealed that they had activated the purchase option on his loan deal from Nottingham Forest.
The midfielder will join permanently for a €23.4 million fee after he had spent the past six months on loan in Lyon. Forest will retain a 10% interest in any capital gain on any potential future transfer of the player.
Despite making only 12 appearances for the club, Mangala had previously mentioned that he was happy in the team and that he was hoping Lyon would trigger their option. The club evidently believe in their new player and were glowing in their assessment of the signing.
The club writes in the press release, “Lyon are very happy to see Orel continue to contribute to our success and remain convinced that his talent and investment will be valuable assets for the club’s future challenges.”
Mangala becomes the second signing of the summer as he joins Saïd Benrahma (28) in making the permanent swap to Ligue 1 from the Premier League after the Algerian winger left West Ham for Les Gones.
