West Brom's Nacer Chadli linked with a £17m move to Lyon
What's the rumour?
According to France Football, Nacer Chadli of West Bromwich Albion has been linked with a move to Olympique Lyonnais after turning heads with his impressive performances at the 2018 World Cup.
In case you didn't know...
West Brom signed Chadli from Tottenham Hotspur for £13.5m in 2016. He was a fringe first-team player at Spurs and was unhappy at his lack of game time. He was given just what he wanted at the Baggies, making 31 Premier League appearances, scoring and assisting five respectively.
However, in the 2017-18 Premier League campaign, Chadli was practically non-existent. He played a total of five games and scored once, missing the rest of the season due to injury. He featured a couple of times for the West Brom U23s mid-season but lacked the fitness level to return to the first team.
It's no wonder, then, that Baggies fans were shocked to find out that Chadli had been called up to play for Belgium in the World Cup, appearing to be in far better shape than he had been whilst at the Hawthorns last season.
The heart of the matter
Chadli's contract at West Brom runs until 2020, but it is no secret that the Belgian international is unsettled at the club. His mood will have undoubtedly worsened following West Brom's relegation to the Championship, so a move away is looking very likely.
Nacer Chadli has a £17m relegation release clause in his contract, which indicates the minimum amount West Brom would accept in order to sell him. Naturally, the Baggies will be determined to keep hold of him for the upcoming season ahead, as he would tear up Championship defences with ease.
Rumour probability: 7/10
After his excellent string of performances on the world stage this summer, a large number of clubs have shown interest in the versatile winger, but it appears to be Lyon who lead the charge.
If Lyon are willing to cough up £17m to meet the player's relegation release clause, then he's free to leave the club. The transition for Chadli would be fairly easy, too, as French is his first language.