AS Monaco submit bid for RC Lens’ Neil El Aynaoui | OneFootball

AS Monaco have submitted an offer for RC Lens’ Neil El Aynaoui (23), according to a report from L’Équipe. The value of the offer is thought to be between €15-20m.

El Aynaoui only joined Lens for a nominal €600k fee from AS Nancy last summer, however, in his first season in Ligue 1, he has excelled, featuring 32 times for the club in all competitions, including three matches in the UEFA Champions League. He has made great strides in a short time, however, his time at Lens may already be coming to an end.

Les Sang et Or, who are set to lose manager Franck Haise to OGC Nice, want to raise funds this summer, with the club’s president announcing a new regime of austerity. There are more obvious candidates for a departure, most notably Elye Wahi, Brice Samba, and Golden Boy nominee Andy Diouf. However, El Aynaoui could also be on the move.

Lens are looking to raise funds in order to rebuild their squad and the sales of academy products or players that arrived for free, or for a meagre fee, as was the case with El Aynaoui, are seen as the best way to achieve this objective. Monaco could give them a helping hand, having submitted an offer for El Aynaoui, according to L’Équipe. That offer is thought to be worth between €15-20m, however, Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna has denied the existence of any bid.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle