Olympique Lyonnais has officially announced the permanent transfer of midfielder Johann Lepenant, aged 22, to FC Nantes. The deal sees Lyon receive €2.5 million for the services of the France youth international. Lepenant spent the entirety of the previous season on loan with Nantes, where he played a crucial role in their successful bid to remain in Ligue 1, featuring in 31 matches across all competitions.
A product of the SM Caen academy, Lepenant originally joined Lyon from his formative club in 2022. During his initial season with Lyon, he showed considerable promise and appeared poised to establish himself as a long-term fixture in the first team, making 31 appearances in Ligue 1.
However, the 2023/24 campaign saw him become a less prominent member of the squad. This decline in involvement was exacerbated by a significant injury he sustained while representing the France U21 national team. His loan spell at Nantes proved to be a valuable opportunity for him to regain match fitness and form. FC Nantes, nicknamed `Les Canaris`, are anticipated to place significant reliance on him heading into the upcoming 2025/26 season.
