Lyon have expressed their fury at Chelsea after Malo Gusto, their highly-rated young midfielder, went AWOL after heading to England for injury treatment despite a loan transfer to the Premier League club.
The French club had agreed to loan the 19-year-old to Chelsea for the remainder of the season, but the deal has been thrown into doubt after Gusto failed to return to France.
Gusto had been due to travel to London for treatment on a knee injury, but instead of returning to Lyon, he has gone missing.
The club have now expressed their anger at Chelsea, accusing them of failing to keep tabs on the player and of not doing enough to ensure his return.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said: “We are furious with Chelsea. We had agreed to loan Malo to them for the remainder of the season, but they have failed to keep tabs on him.
“We had expected him to return to France after his treatment, but he has gone missing. We have no idea where he is and we are extremely concerned for his safety.”
The club have now launched an investigation into the matter and are demanding answers from Chelsea.
Aulas added: “We are demanding answers from Chelsea. We want to know why they failed to keep tabs on the player and why they did not do enough to ensure his return.
“We are also considering taking legal action against them if they are found to be at fault in any way.”
The incident has cast a shadow over the loan deal, with Lyon now considering cancelling the transfer.
Gusto had been tipped to make a big impact at Chelsea, but his future at the club now looks uncertain.
The incident has also raised questions about the club’s ability to look after young players, with some suggesting that they should have done more to ensure Gusto’s return.
It remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved, but one thing is for sure: Lyon are furious with Chelsea and are demanding answers.