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Gourcuff to sign contract with Lyon as Bordeaux agree to sell

| 27.08.2010

Lyon have enhanced their chances of reclaiming the Ligue 1 title this season by agreeing a deal to sign French playmaker Yoann Gourcuff from rivals Bordeaux.

Claude Puel’s side have not won their domestic title since 2008, which was the end of a record-breaking sequence of seven championships in succession.

Lyon have been chasing the 24-year-old for much of the summer after being highlighted as the missing piece of the puzzle that would help them go one better than the second place they gained in Ligue 1 last season behind Marseille.

An £18m deal has been agreed, with Bordeaux to receive the money in three instalments by December 2012, alongside gaining £3.7m if the creative midfielder is sold from Lyon in the future.

It is expected that a long-term contract will be signed with Lyon later this week, on the assumption that he first passes his medical.

Lyon are the 7/4 favourites to win Ligue 1 this season, despite flattering to deceive in their opening three games of the campaign.

After drawing their season opener at home to Monaco, they lost 3-2 away at Caen, before finally managing to secure their first victory with a battling 1-0 triumph over newly-promoted Brest with Jean Makoun grabbing the only goal.

Lyon are also automatically into the group stages of the Champions League following their league performance last season and are 50/1 to win the tournament.

Toulouse are 40/1 to win Ligue 1 despite being the only team to triumph in all of their opening three games. See the whole Ligue 1 winners market.

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Author

Ed Needham