'Let me tell you' - John Textor unleashes X-rated rant as Everton handed Ernest Nuamah transfer boost
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John Textor admitted that Olympique Lyonnais are open to player sales in the January transfer window amid Everton’s reported interest in Ernest Nuamah.
But the American owner insists that members of the squad won’t be allowed to leave on the cheap despite the Ligue 1 club’s financial plight. Lyon have provisionally been relegated to the second tier by French football's financial watchdog Direction Nationale du Controle de Gestion (DNCG). Their situation must improve drastically to avoid the drop to Ligue 2 after Textor’s company Eagle Football Club announced debts of £422 million.
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Hide AdEverton signed Jake O’Brien for £16 million from Lyon last summer, as well as recruiting Orel Mangala on a season-long loan. At the time, Textor was keen to purchase the Toffees from Farhad Moshiri before being gazumped by The Friedkin Group.
Les Gones winger Nuamah is reportedly on the Blues’ radar this month after also being linked last summer. Sky Sports suggested that Everton have been in discussions over a possible deal as they aim to bolster their attacking options to avoid a Premier League relegation battle.
Textor recently spoke to French outlet RMC Sport on possible sales this month. He told of his frustration that there are clubs trying to sign some Lyon players are are not available - but accepted that the squad needs to be trimmed.
“You guys are taking the headlines that we are in trouble and saying everyone is for sale - not everyone is for sale,” said Textor. “Who the hell said everyone said everyone is for sale? The press.
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Hide Ad“Our plan is to sell the players we planned to sell before the DNCG announcement. When you say everybody is for sale, let me tell you how football clubs work. When the club decides to sell certain players, it advances certain players into the market place because it needs to move them off the roster.
“At the same time, it gets unsolicited calls from other clubs saying: 'Hey, I want to buy a player' who you didn't think of selling. You think: 'Huh, I haven't considered that, maybe I would sell him'. I'm only interested in selling players who we had planned to move anyway and I'm only interested in selling players if we have a better player that can come in behind him. That hasn't changed.
“I've read it everyone that the whole team is for sale. I've had clubs from Turkey offering me p*** money for players because they think we are desperate but we tell them to f*** off. It's not happening. This image the whole place is for sale is not happening. The problem is we have 29 players and we need 24. These guys need to eat. Top players are not happy unless they're getting play.”
Nuamah impressed for Lyon last season, recording seven goals and three assists in 39 appearances on loan from Eagle Football Holdings-owned RWD Molenbeek. He joined Les Gones on a permanent deal for €28.5 million in July. The Ghana international did almost leave for Fulham on transfer deadline day, travelling to London for a medical but left before it was over. Textor has to apologise to Nuamah for the situation. However, the 21-year-old hasn’t hit the same height since and managed to score just one and create another this term.
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