Loïs Openda Joins Olympique Lyonnais on Loan from Juventus

Loïs Openda is on the move again. After just a single season in Turin, the Belgian forward is set to swap Juventus for Olympique Lyonnais, with multiple outlets confirming a deal that sends him to Ligue 1 on a straight loan for the 2026-27 campaign.

No buy option. No obligation. Just one season in France, paid in full.

Reports from Sky, Fabrizio Romano and other sources align on the framework: Lyon will hand Juventus around €3m for the loan and will cover Openda’s entire salary. Earlier in the week, there were murmurs that Juve might have to shoulder part of his wages to make the deal happen. Those doubts have been brushed aside. Lyon are going all in on the financial side for the year.

For Openda, it marks another sharp turn in a career built on pace and constant motion. He arrived at Juventus with expectations of becoming a long-term piece of their attack, but after one season in Serie A, the club have chosen a different route, at least in the short term.

Lyon, meanwhile, are handing Paulo Fonseca a powerful weapon for his first full campaign in charge. The former Milan head coach inherits a forward whose game is built for vertical football: explosive runs, aggressive pressing, and a willingness to stretch defenses. In a Ligue 1 that increasingly rewards speed and direct play, Openda’s profile fits the landscape.

The image of him in black and white at Mapei Stadium in January 2026 – leading the line for Juventus against Sassuolo – already feels like a snapshot from a brief chapter. The next one will be written in Lyon, in a side looking to reassert itself among France’s elite.

Juventus bank a modest fee, clear a full salary off the books for a season and keep control of the player’s future. Lyon secure a high-ceiling forward without long-term risk.

One year. One league. One more chance for Openda to prove he belongs at the very top.