L'Équipe: Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea Interested in Lille Forward Pardo, but President Says Not for Sale

Hupu Football News — July 29

French media L'Équipe's renowned journalist Loïc Tanzi has provided an update on the situation of Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo.

The 21-year-old Belgian international is expected to return to Lille for training on Saturday, accompanied by Ayyoub Bouaddi and fellow Belgian Nathan Ngoy.

Fernandez-Pardo previously represented the "Red Devils" at the World Cup, appearing in all three group stage matches (totaling 40 minutes) but receiving no further opportunities. Belgium was eventually eliminated in the quarterfinals, losing 1–2 to Spain.

Subsequently, he enjoyed the mandatory three-week vacation granted to World Cup participants. Despite this, his stance has not changed: he hopes to leave Lille this summer, and Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Atlético Madrid are all interested in signing him.

The Belgian international, who has five senior national team appearances, transferred from Gent to Lille in August 2024 for €10 million. He has been considering a departure for nearly a year. Even recently changing agents—his third agent change in two years—has not shaken his desire to leave.

Before returning to training, he communicated yesterday with Lille president Olivier Létang, who had met with the player's new agent the day before.

Both received the same response from Létang: leaving this summer is not part of the club's plans. This stance is firm, and Létang confirmed it to L'Équipe yesterday afternoon.

"The player's contract runs until 2029, and leaving is not under consideration at all," Létang asserted. "We are very clear on this."

"We count on him, and he knows it. We have clearly expressed our stance to him."

Saying Lille counts on the Belgian forward is even an understatement. Since Hamza Igamane suffered a severe right knee injury in the Africa Cup of Nations final on January 18, Fernandez-Pardo has become the team's first-choice center forward.

First-Choice Center Forward

The Moroccan player is not expected to return until October, so Lille head coach Ancelotti plans to rely on Fernandez-Pardo and Olivier Giroud for the "number 9" role, with the Belgian player naturally given priority.

Lille's management has full confidence in "MFP" and expects him to have another excellent season. Appearances in the Champions League are likely to boost his profile and market value.

The Champions League group stage kicks off on Tuesday, September 8, while the transfer window closes a week earlier. Given that the player and his new agent claim to have received permission from President Létang to leave this summer—which Létang flatly denies—should we expect tensions between the club, player, and his entourage to ease, or foresee ongoing conflicts of interest?

The answer will be revealed sometime in August, but Létang already seems exasperated. The Lille club president concluded:

"He has never received permission to leave. All the players I told could leave have already left. This is just a repeat of last summer's drama, only with a new agent."

Source: L'Équipe