Villarreal snap up Lyon striker Mikautadze ahead of transfer deadline

Georgian international striker Georges Mikautadze has joined Spanish side Villarreal from Lyon for a fee of up to 36 million euros ($41m), the French club announced just before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Lyon said the total fee included five million euros in potential bonuses and that they would also receive 10 percent of the profit from any future sell-on fee.

The 24-year-old forward was born in Lyon and joined his hometown team in July last year from Metz, off the back of an impressive showing with Georgia at Euro 2024 in Germany.

Mikautadze scored 17 goals in all competitions for Lyon last season and had netted once at the start of this campaign.

The Ligue 1 side agreed to the sale in order to relieve their troubled financial situation, with Mikautadze’s departure notably following those during the close season of veteran attacking talisman Alexandre Lacazette and young star Rayan Cherki, with the latter going to Manchester City.

Lyon were relegated to Ligue 2 in June because of their debts, but overturned that punishment on appeal and have since sought to raise further money in sales while also reducing their wage bill.

“I will leave Lyon with a heavy heart,” Mikautadze said as he addressed Lyon fans on Sunday at the end of their 1-0 home win over Marseille, a game in which he played no part.

“I wanted to make history here, but that is football. The club and the institution must come first.”

Mikautadze joins a Villarreal side who will feature in this season’s Champions League, and his transfer is one of the biggest paid in La Liga during the window — only Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have committed a bigger fee for a signing over the Spanish summer.