For years, Europe’s top clubs have turned to Lyon for the next big thing.
Chelsea fans will remember former stars Michael Essien and Florent Malouda, while Barcelona have the Ligue 1 side to thank for legendary full-back Eric Abidal.
Most recently, Real Madrid snapped up 24-year-old left-back Ferland Mendy for £47million.
He becomes the latest in a long string of talented players to seal a big-money move away from the French club.
And Mendy will certainly not be the last. Europe’s top clubs are circling around highly-rated midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, with Tottenham close to winning the race for his signature, while Nabil Fekir remains a wanted man following his failed move to Liverpool last summer.
Here, talkSPORT.com takes a look at how Lyon could line-up if they kept all of their amazing talent.
Formation: 4-1-2-1-2 (Midfield diamond)
Hugo Lloris – (Sold to Tottenham for £10.7m in 2012)
Tottenham won the race for Hugo Lloris’ signature in 2012 and he has been worth every penny of the £10.7m fee.
The 32-year-old, now captain of Spurs and France, made more than 150 appearances for Lyon during a four-year spell at the club.
Leo Dubois – (Still at Lyon)
Leo Duboi, who joined Lyon from Nantes last summer, enjoyed a fantastic first season with Les Gones.
The 24-year-old caught the eye of the French national team selectors and recently made his debut for Les Bleus.
Dejan Lovren – (Sold to Southampton for £8.5m in 2013)
Say what you like about Lovren, but in the past year, he has won the Champions League and reached the World Cup final.
The Liverpool and Croatia defender made 72 league appearances for Lyon and joined Southampton for £8.5m in 2013, before sealing a £20m switch to Anfield one year later.
Samuel Umtiti (Sold to Barcelona for £22m in 2016)
Umtiti spent 14 years at Lyon before Barcelona came knocking in 2016.
The France defender joined Les Gones’ academy in 2002 and made more than 100 appearances for the club.
Farland Mendy (Sold to Real Madrid for £47m in 2019)
Real Madrid have identified Mendy as their long-term replacement for Marcelo.
The 24-year-old is equally as attacking as the Brazilian, with a wicked left-foot to go with it.
Corentin Tolisso – (Sold to Bayern Munich for £36.5m in 2017)
Tolisso joined Bayern Munich for a then Bundesliga record £36.5m in 2017.
However, his career in Bavaria has been stunted by a ruptured crucial ligament in his right knee, which ruled him out for most of the 2018/19 season.
The France international graduated from the Lyon academy, joining as a kid in 2007 before leaving ten years later.
Tanguy Ndombele – (Still at Lyon)
Tanguy Ndombele has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham and latest reports claim a club record fee between Spurs and Lyon has been agreed.
Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly desperate to sign the 22-year-old, who is also being chased by Manchester United and Juventus.
His combination of power and technical ability make him an old-fashioned box-to-box midfielder, who can be effective in attack or defence.
Miralem Pjanic – (Sold to Roma for £9.8m in 2011)
The 29-year-old midfielder has gone on to achieve big things in Italy since leaving Lyon in 2011.
First, he joined Roma, where he spent five successful years, before Juventus landed him for £28.5m in 2016.
He has won Serie A in every season with the Old Lady.
Nabil Fekir (Still at Lyon)
Fekir remains a Lyon player despite his attempts to join Liverpool last summer.
The move fell through at the eleventh hour and he continues to be linked with other clubs ahead of next season.
Alexandre Lacazette – (Sold to Arsenal for £45m in 2017)
Arsenal broke the bank for Alexandre Lacazette in 2017 and he has proved a fantastic signing.
The 28-year-old, who joined Lyon’s academy in 2003, won the Gunners’ Player of the Year award this season.
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Karim Benzema – (Sold to Real Madrid for £31m in 2009)
Lyon’s most high-profile academy product is probably Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema.
The 31-year-old spent his entire youth career at Les Gones, joining in 1996 before making his senior debut in 2004.
Madrid came knocking in 2009 and, for much of the last decade, he has been the No. 1 striker at the Bernabeu.