Jonathan Clauss played Saturday morning against and at Rodez (1-0, L2) his last minutes under the blood and gold colors. Despite the desperate appeal of a supporter from the stands who made the player smile before the kick-off of the second thirty-minute period, the right side of RC Lens (29 years old) will soon be a Marseille player under reservation of medical visit this Tuesday. His new contract will be for three seasons.
On the night of Monday to Tuesday, after one o’clock in the morning, the two clubs ended a process of long negotiations and found common ground around a fifth, or even sixth and final proposal. Proof that Clauss was a recruitment priority for Marseille, Marseille finally got closer to the initial request of the artesian club: €9 million guaranteed. Plus two attainable bonuses. This will bring, at best, the total amount of the player’s transfer to €11 million to buy out his last year of contract.
Clauss will play in the Champions League
Lens therefore authorized the piston to go to Marseille to officially commit to OM, respecting his word not to block a player who wishes to know a project of another dimension, to compete in a European Cup and earn more money. Provided you find yourself there. The Pas-de-Calais club remained firm on its initial requests: at least €10 million to let go of its French international (4 selections), under contract until June 2023. A coherent position and a signal for future requests for players who are also coming to the end of their contract.
Jonathan Clauss against OM (2-0 victory for the Phocaeans), on January 22. (P. Lahalle/The Team)
This is the third sale of RC Lens this summer after the departures of Corentin Jean for Inter Miami (MLS, €1.2m) and Cheick Doucouré at Crystal Palace (ANG, €22.6m + 5). By selling its international to OM, the artesian club financed its recruitment campaign but also technically repaid its €30 million loan taken out with Barclays bank in the summer of 2021.
After the departure of Clauss, his workforce still has several pistons with, on the right, Przemyslaw Frankowski who will play on his strong foot, and Jimmy Cabot. On the left, Deiver Machado, Massadio Haïdara, Koto Camara and even Ismaël Boura will be in competition. Arriving free from Germany in the summer of 2020, Clauss will experience other thrills further south and compete in the Champions League.