Brentford tried to sign Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann in January – Player unconvinced

Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann could still be heading towards the exit door this summer, despite establishing himself as a regular starter this season.

The 24-year-old joined the Ligue 1 side from Venezia in August 2024 for around £5.1m and has featured heavily during the current campaign. Tessmann has made 33 appearances in all competitions, starting 26 matches and scoring twice.

Despite that involvement, the American international has not entirely convinced within the club.

According to L’Equipe, there are concerns internally about his performances in midfield. The French newspaper claims Tessmann has struggled with the technical demands of the role, suggesting his lack of dynamism and technical limitations have sometimes affected Lyon’s overall play.

That uncertainty around his role reportedly led Lyon to consider selling the midfielder during the January transfer window.

Manager Paulo Fonseca is believed to prefer midfielders who offer greater technical sharpness and energy, with profiles such as Tyler Morton or Noah Nartey more closely matching his tactical demands.

A scout working for a Premier League club told L’Equipe that Lyon would have been open to a sale earlier this year.

“I think the club would have liked to sell him in January because he has a market value in England and does not suit what Fonseca is doing.

Lyon did have opportunities to move Tessmann on during the winter window.

The midfielder was linked with Lazio, while Brentford are said to have made approaches to explore a possible deal.

However, according to the report, the player himself was not particularly convinced by the idea of joining the Premier League side at the time.

Tessmann is currently under contract with Lyon until June 2029 and is reportedly happy at the club now that he is receiving regular playing time.

Statistics cited by L’Equipe also highlight Lyon’s reduced attacking output when Tessmann plays.

The report claims the team holds less possession, takes fewer shots and wins the ball back in advanced areas less frequently when the American is on the pitch.

That could make his place in the midfield less secure going forward.

One potential solution could be a positional change. Tessmann has already been used at centre-back twice this season, and the former Venezia player may feature there again.

He could even appear in that role when Lyon face Celta Vigo in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie on Thursday evening.

He has good physical data, but the playing context perhaps does not suit him.”