Lille selling forward Ikone to Italian club Fiorentina

Posted December 31, 2021 6:00 am

The Associated Press

LILLE, France (AP) - French champion Lille is selling forward Jonathan Ikone to Italian club Fiorentina.

Lille said in a statement Friday that the 23-year-old France international has left to begin training with Fiorentina and will officially sign on Monday when the transfer window opens.

No further details were given, but Ikone had a contract through June 2023 and the transfer was reportedly worth around 15 million euros ($17 million).

The quick and skillful Ikone was popular among Lille fans and helped the club topple defending champion Paris Saint-Germain in a major title upset last season.

More effective as a winger, he scored 16 goals and provided 26 assists in 150 games. Ikone, who grew up playing youth soccer in the same Paris suburb of Bondy as PSG star Kylian Mbappe, has one goal in four appearances for France.

Ikone helped Lille qualify for the round of 16 in the Champions League, where it faces defending champion Chelsea.

'œLille thanks him for everything he gave to the club and wishes him the best for the future,'ť the club said.

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Lille's Jonathan Ikone, left, challenges for the ball with Wolfsburg's Kevin Mbabu, right, during the Champions League group G soccer match between VfL Wolfsburg and Lille OSC in Wolfsburg, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) The Associated Press

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