Transfer rumour · archive

Jun-ho Bae to Olympique Lyonnais

Quiet since 14 August 2026. Last report: Santi Aouna. Probability when it went quiet: 5%.

Nothing has moved between Stoke City and Lyon over the last few weeks, and that is the story right now. Jun-ho Bae trained with Stoke as normal on the morning of 14 August, a small but telling detail given the transfer talk swirling around him. Lyon's most recent offer sits at €3.5m, well short of the €6m Stoke want including bonuses. Stoke have already knocked back interest once, and there is no sign yet of either side shifting. All of this comes from Santi Aouna, whose reporting has traced the deal from first contact in mid-July through two rounds of bids. He is a credible name on French football business, rated 79 out of 100, and he has been consistent throughout: same clubs, same player, numbers narrowing but not closing. No second outlet has broken anything fresh, so this is a single well-sourced voice rather than a story confirmed from multiple directions. The player wants the move. Aouna has reported that plainly, and it has not changed since July. But wanting it and getting it are different things when two clubs are €2.5m apart and Stoke are digging in. Call this a long shot for now, one that depends on Lyon finding more money or Stoke deciding €4m to €5m is close enough to take. Stoke have sold before at these kinds of numbers. They took €4m from Hoffenheim and €3m from both Pisa and Luton in 2023, so a fee in the €4m to €5m range for Bae would sit comfortably within what they have accepted for players before. Watch for any fresh Lyon bid above €4m, and whether Stoke's asking price starts to soften as the window edges toward its close.

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