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Return redux: Openda joins Ligue 1's Revenants

Lyon has been a happy hunting ground of late for stars returning to Ligue 1 McDonald's, with Corentin Tolisso, Alexandre Lacazette and Moussa Niakhaté all playing starring roles for Les Gones. Can former Lens striker Loïs Openda be next?
E. DEVIN
Published on 07/28/2026 at 02:30
2-minute read
Loïs Openda has returned to Ligue 1 McDonald's with Olympique Lyonnais

Lyon has been a happy hunting ground of late for stars returning to Ligue 1 McDonald's, with Corentin Tolisso, Alexandre Lacazette and Moussa Niakhaté all playing starring roles for Les Gones. Can former Lens striker Loïs Openda be next? Learn more about the Belgian international on his return to France.

Making his name in the low countries

Born in the Belgian city of Liege, Openda came through the academy at Standard before joining Club Brugge at 15. Despite making his debut at 18, he found his path to the first team blocked, and spent two seasons on loan with Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem, helping them reach the cup final in the first before reaching the twenty goal mark in his second. His displays caught the eye of an ambitious Lens side, and he joined Le Sang et Or in 2022 on a five-year contract.

A breakout season in Lens

Named a finalist for the UNFP Player of the Year that season, Openda deserved every accolade that came his way, including a pair of Player of the Month awards and a place in the Team of the Year as he scored an incredible 21 goals under Franck Haise as Lens finished second, securing a historic return to the Champions League. His pace and skill on the turn made him adept at not only stretching play but also allowing the midfield to be involved in the attack, and naturally caught the eye of Europe's top sides, and after just one season in the north of France he joined RB Leipzig the following summer.  

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Struggles with Juve

Openda continued to impress in his time in Germany, racking up an impressive 24 league goals as RBL won the DFB-Pokal and reached the Round of 16 in the Champions League. The next season was rather more difficult, though, with the club finishing near the bottom of the Champions League table and a distant seventh domestically. Last season saw him join Juventus in a shock move, given the Bianconeri's depth in attack in the form of Jonathan David, Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik.

Despite featuring more than thirty times for the club last season, he found the back of the net only twice, and now joins Lyon with the opportunity to be the main point of attack but also to play in the Champions League under a manager with a proclivity for attacking football in Paulo Fonseca. 

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