‘I have a taste for revenge’ –  Jeff Reine-Adélaïde searches for new project after leaving Molenbeek | OneFootball

Jeff Reine-Adélaïde (26) has become a free agent after leaving RWD Molenbeek at the end of his contract. The former Arsenal and RC Lens youth product only joined the Belgium side last summer from Olympique Lyonnais but he will already be on the move as he searches for a new club.

For Reine-Adélaïde, the past season focused primarily on staying fit and healthy after his stint in Lyon had been heavily disrupted by two serious ACL injuries. For the most part, the midfielder achieved this goal as he was able to make 27 appearances across all competitions for Molenbeek (his largest tally since the 2018/19 season.)

As Reine-Adélaïde explained in an interview with L’Équipe, fitness concerns had been the biggest stumbling block he had experienced last summer when trying to secure a move away from Lyon. “Last season, clubs were interested in my situation but needed to be reassured on a physical level. I needed a club that would allow me to find rhythm and fitness again.”

Molenbeek, a sister club to Lyon, proved to be the perfect environment for the midfielder to have a fresh start. However, the season was not without a worrying patch. At the start of May, Reine-Adélaïde was temporarily hospitalised for a concussion sustained in a game against Royal Charleroi.

The midfielder admitted, “It’s obviously scary from the outside, but the injury had no after-effects or seriousness. I stayed under observation that same evening at the hospital and I left the next day. I didn’t really understand what happened… it was weird because I didn’t feel it was serious.”

On searching for a new club, Reine-Adélaïde has a certain point to prove, “I need to find a club whose sporting project speaks to me, that fits the football I love. But the human aspect will be essential… My priority is to have fun and be part of a good group. I also have a taste for revenge. Some have written me off, but apart from the ACLs, I have never been a very injured player. I have been labelled as a fragile player, even though it’s not true.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland