Brentford transfer news: 'Failed approaches' revealed for 24-year-old Ligue 1 midfielder

During the January transfer window, Lyon are said to have been keen to sell one of Paulo Fonseca's regular starters, who now appears to be heading for the exit door this summer.

It is something of a paradox. Largely a squad player in his first season at Lyon, Tanner Tessmann has established himself as a starter this campaign. The American midfielder, who arrived for £5.1m in August 2024, has made 33 appearances — 26 of them from the start — scoring twice in the process.

Despite that, he has not entirely convinced within the Rhone club. L'Equipe notes that "Tanner Tessmann is struggling in midfield, where his technical deficiencies and lack of dynamism are hampering Lyon's collective play." Standing at 6ft 2in, the United States international remains the understudy to Nemanja Matic.

Lyon wanted to sell Tessmann in the January window

His profile, however, does not quite fit the style of football Fonseca wants to play, with the manager preferring technically sharp and energetic profiles such as Tyler Morton or Noah Nartey. As a result, Tessmann does not appear to be a long-term fixture at Lyon.

A French scout working for a Premier League club told L'Equipe: "I think the club would have liked to sell him in January because he has a market value in England and does not suit what Fonseca is doing. He has good physical data, but the playing context perhaps does not suit him."

Lyon did have an opportunity to sell the 24-year-old last January. Linked with a move to Lazio, Tessmann was also attracting interest from Brentford. The English club made approaches, but the player himself was not particularly enthused by that destination, according to the French sports daily. Under contract until June 2029, he appears content at Lyon, where he now enjoys regular playing time.

A future at centre-back for Tessmann at Lyon?

Backed up by statistics, L'Equipe points out that Lyon "hold the ball less (54% vs 62%), shoot less (11.3 vs 16), score less (1.5 vs 2.1), enter the opposition penalty area less often (22 vs 28) and win the ball back in higher areas less frequently (6.2 vs 7.7)" when the American is on the pitch. Under those circumstances, Tessmann losing his place next season appears almost inevitable, and a departure cannot be ruled out.

Unless the former Venezia man finds a role at centre-back for Lyon. Having started twice in that position this season, the Birmingham, Alabama-born player could again feature for Paulo Fonseca in that role on Thursday evening, when Lyon travel to face Celta Vigo (kick-off 9pm UK time) in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie.