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Lyon resigned to losing Davit Niniashvili to Top 14 rivals - report
By Josh Raisey
Lyon have accepted that they are likely to lose Georgia fullback Davit Niniashvili at the end of the season, with La Rochelle emerging as frontrunners to sign the 22-year-old, according to French outlet Midi Olympique.
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With a staggering list of 24 players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of the current season, the Georgian is one who is expected to slip through the net, with the report saying both Toulon and Toulouse eyeing the rising star of the international game.
Ronan O’Gara is currently looking for a long-term successor to 34-year-old Brice Dulin in the La Rochelle No15 jersey, and after missing out on Stade Francais fullback Leo Barre recently, they may have turned their attention to Niniashvili and appear to be leading the race to sign him.
Having joined Lyon in 2021 as a teenager, Niniashvili will qualify as a JIFF player from next year, making him a more attractive target for clubs in the Top 14.
“We made an offer to Davit that seems very good to us, but beyond which we will not go because in our eyes, no player is superior to the institution,” Lyon president Yann Roubert said to Midi Olympique (translated by Google).
“He knows what he can get with us, not necessarily what can await him elsewhere. If he has to stay in Lyon, we want it to be for good reasons.”
Lyon are not going to see all their stars depart at the end of the season though, and have already tied down France scrumhalf Baptiste Couilloud until 2030.
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Niniashvili started on the wing as Lyon got their Top 14 campaign underway with a 22-26 victory over Montpellier on the road. They will return home for round two, with a visit to the Stade de Gerland from Bordeaux-Begles.
