Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor is finally set to complete his takeover at Lyon, after the French clubs general manager was sent to England to work out the final details.
That’s according to L’Equipe, who cover the latest development in the Americans long-running, saga laden efforts to buy the French giants.
They explain that the statement from the club offering a new deadline to Textor was revealed to be a leak on Thursday morning and not official policy.
However, it may have helped to speed the lumbering process of the sale to the Crystal Palace co-owner along as ‘optimism has risen in the heart of the matter’ after it.
According to the newspaper, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas held a meeting this week to assess the progress of the takeover and while few elements have leaked out and the players at the club ‘remain cautious’, there is a growing optimism about it.
Indeed, L’Equipe say that the OL Group should communicate at some point today and ‘undoubtedly put an end to a long soap opera’.
Sources close to Textor consider the deal as “closed”, even though it will take several more days before that is actually the case.
The signing of the documents took place on Thursday and the source states that “the financial flows have started” as of Friday. The official closure of the deal will take longer due to currency conversions and different payments to the “banks and sellers” involved.
The same source insists, though, that “everything is done” for the deal to take place, with Lyon general director Vincent Ponsot even at Crystal Palace on Friday.
The nature of his visit isn’t clear, but it was ‘probably to initiate the interclub work’ and is seen as another positive sign that Textor’s takeover will be finalised.
