Monaco Cancels Transfer of Lens Midfielder Neil El Aynaoui Due to Knee Injury

Neil El Aynaoui’s arrival at Monaco is compromised. While the club had reached an agreement with Lens on a deal worth 15 million euros (+ 2 M€ in bonuses) for the Franco-Moroccan midfielder, the medical examination carried out on Thursday revealed a problem with his left knee that had not healed sufficiently, reports L’Équipe. This knee had suffered a sprain on April 29 during the OM-Lens match. As a result, an operation is required, which could keep the 23-year-old player off the field for up to seven months. Faced with this unexpected situation, Monaco had to cancel his transfer.

On Saturday, the various media present on the spot during the friendly match against Louvain (0-1) reported that his coach Will Still had briefly indicated that his midfielder had "small niggles, but nothing alarming." Assurances contradicted by Thursday’s medical examination.

Neil arrived at RC Lens from Nancy this summer for 600,000 €. His contract runs until 2027. In six months, he has gone from substitute to starter. He even made his first steps in the Champions League. However, his knee injury remains, for the moment, a handicap for him.