French football club Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) has decided to loan Zimbabwean striker Tino Kadewere to another French Ligue 1 team, Nantes, until the end of the season on January 4, 2024. Lyon has also included a purchase option in the loan agreement, which means they can acquire a 25% interest if Kadewere is sold to another club in the future. The loan deal allows Kadewere to play for Nantes until June 30, 2024. Said the club in a statement:
Joining the club in July 2020 from Le Havre, the 26-year-old Zimbabwean international forward, who was on loan last season at Mallorca, has played 64 matches with OL, scoring 11 goals.
Olympique Lyonnais wishes Tino a successful second half of the season; he remains under contract with the club until June 30, 2025.
A statement on Nantes’ official website reads:
FC Nantes and Olympique Lyonnais have reached an agreement for the loan – with option to purchase – of Tino Kadewere (27 years old), until the end of the 2023-2024 season.
Kadewere said after signing the loan deal, as cited on the website:
I am proud and really happy to be here, in Nantes. It’s a new year, a new challenge and we are going to attack with great ambitions.
The idea is to give everything to help the team. I would like to thank the Club for the trust placed in it. I know the Stade de La Beaujoire well, a place that I really like (smile).
There is a superb atmosphere and I am impatient to play in front of the Nantes supporters.
Kadewere will now wear jersey number 15 while playing for Nantes. He initially had a good start in Ligue 1 when he joined Lyon from Le Havre and played alongside talented players like Memphis Depay. Unfortunately, he faced injuries that affected his performance and caused him to lose his form and confidence. Even his time at Mallorca couldn’t help him regain his form as he got injured again just before making his debut in La Liga. Now, he has returned to France but is still struggling to find his best form this season.