Lyon complete £27m signing of Nottingham Forest defender Moussa Niakhate as centre-back agrees four-year deal with French side

Lyon have signed defender Moussa Niakhate from Nottingham Forest for a fee of £27million.

The 28-year-old Senegal international has signed a four-year contract and the sale will see Forest make a profit of £14.3million on the player they signed two years ago.

A statement from the club said: ‘Moussa Niakhate has made a permanent transfer to Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais.

‘The 28-year-old joined Forest from Mainz 05 in July 2022. He was captain of the German club and made 128 appearances in the Bundesliga.

The defender made 37 appearances in his two seasons at Forest, twice helping the team secure a regular Premier League place after a 23-year absence.

Niakhate also made his debut for the Senegal national team while playing for the Reds. He started for the Lions of Teranga at the Africa Cup of Nations and made five appearances for his country. He previously only missed out on a place at the 2022 World Cup due to injury.

We wish Moussa all the best for the future and thank him for his contribution during his time at the Club.’

In a post on social media, Niakhate wrote: ‘Thank you for making me feel at home from day one. I always felt your love and support every time I stepped onto the pitch, but the funny thing is that I felt it more during my most difficult moments, especially my injury.

‘That was the hardest moment of my career, but everyone at Forest, from the staff to my team-mates and the fans, made me smile every day. I will never forget that.

‘Ultimately, we have always achieved our objectives thanks to the fighting spirit and determination of the players and staff who were present at the return of this historic club to the elite. We have lived together through difficult moments, but also exceptional moments of joy at our famous City Ground and I am happy and proud that, on a sporting level, we have managed to retain our Premier League status.

‘So thank you to all the fans, staff, medical, security, everyone at the club. I will never forget you. And to my teammates, you are all warriors.. I love you all as my brothers.

‘And finally a big thank you to Mr. Marinakis and Miltos, for your trust in me and much more than that. Respect and consideration are the most important things for me, much more than football. And I testify that you have been much more than owners to me, thank you.

‘If I could change one thing about my story with you, I would change absolutely nothing. I will have nothing but wonderful memories of my time here. But what I am happiest about is that I leave with the feeling that you have understood exactly who I am, that you have figured me out and that I in turn have learned that Nottingham Forest is more than just a football club.’