BY Kevin Mapasure Warriors striker Tino Kadewere, who has endured a season to forget, could be shipped out by his French Ligue 1 team Lyon.
After a decent first season in the French topflight where he made 33 appearances and scored 10 goals, while providing three assists, things have not been so rosy for the 26-year-old this term with a combination of injuries and loss of form wrecking his campaign.
The tough season has left him staring at the exit door with Lyon reported to be considering offers for the lanky forward.
So far this season Kadewere, who also found the going tough at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Cameroon earlier this year, has made 15 appearances of which 12 were from the bench.
In total he has played just 497 minutes in the league for the giants who are pushing for a European place.
They were booted out of the Europa League by West Ham at the quarterfinal stage and Kadewere could only watch from the bench.
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His last appearance came in the defeat to Brest where he played just seven minutes and he last scored for his team on February 19 in Lyon’s 1-1 draw against Lens.
Kadewere joined Olympique Lyonnais in July 2020 after a spell at Le Havre, where he made 47 league appearances, scoring 25 goals and providing eight assists.
Lyon are looking to recoup at least €8 million of the €15 million they paid Le Harve in 2020 for Kadewere’s services under departed manager Rudi Garcia.
But with Peter Bosz, the 26-year-old has had less opportunity to express himself starting only two matches under the Dutch coach.
According to French publication Mercato, Kadewere’s situation has evolved since the player has had to deal with several problems, between injuries (operation in June for his quadriceps problems in September) and his three-match suspension after the red card received against Nice on October 24.
Several teams were said to be interested in signing him on a loan deal in January and these include Marshal Munetsi’s Reims, Lorient and Troyes in France, German side Stuttgart and England’s Burnley.
The same publication claims that Kadewere is interested in a move that would give him game time as he does not see his situation improve under the current manager.
“The Zimbabwean international striker plans to pack his bags after receiving requests from Reims, Troyes, Lorient and Stuttgart in Germany during the last winter transfer window. Under contract with OL until June 2024, Kadewere should thus obtain an exit voucher from his management who is claiming 8 million euros. A sum equivalent to its current value as specified by Transfermarkt. This season, the former Le Havre has participated in 14 Ligue 1 games for a single goal,” the publication reported.
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