Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham. Premier League clubs battle for Lens 'new Varane'

Lens, who are looking for a new manager to replace Yannick Cahuzac, are enduring a difficult 2026-27 season so far. It is a campaign that could (should) be the last for centre-back Ismaelo Ganiou.

Kept in the squad until the end of the 2026 summer transfer window, the 21-year-old French prospect now has a strong chance of leaving. Lens are probably already thinking about a huge sale for a player who could break into the top 10 biggest sales in the northern French club's history.

His current absence, estimated at several weeks because of a knee injury, does nothing to change the trend of a growing number of clubs taking an interest in his situation and profile. The list is a long one, with no fewer than 11 clubs reported to be in the running to date.

Those three French clubs face competition from six Premier League sides for a player regarded as the 'new Varane', a reference to the fact that the future 2018 world champion left Lens for Real Madrid in the summer of 2011, before moving to Manchester United ten years later. Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle, Fulham and Brentford are the English clubs named in this case.

In Italy, Atalanta and Como, who recently beat Lens at Bollaert-Delelis (9-1), are the two Serie A sides interested. Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig of Germany are also monitoring a situation that is far from having reached a verdict.

It is fair to say that Ganiou's summer 2027 transfer window promises to be particularly lively. With no fewer than 13 suitors already named, the young defender is attracting growing interest on the European market, which promises some fine battles between several clubs keen to secure his services.

It remains to be seen whether Lens will manage to keep hold of their gem or whether one of these clubs will make a concrete move in the coming months.