Iranian striker Taremi on Lille radar: Report
Ligue 1 club LOSC Lille is considering a move for Olympiacos striker and Iranian international Mahdi Taremi, according to French football news website Foot Mercato.
Having joined the Greek giant as a free agent from Internazionale last summer, Taremi, 34, struggled to establish himself as a regular starter, though he still registered 16 goals – including two Champions League strikes against Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid – and six assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.
With prolific Ayoub El Kaabi serving as the first-choice striker and Ukrainian international Roman Yaremchuk, Clayton and Gelson Martins providing further depth in attack, Taremi’s time at Olympiacos could come to a premature end. The Iranian is reportedly said to have informed head coach José Luis Mendilibar that he is unwilling to accept a backup role amid stiff competition for places in the squad.
Taremi was omitted from Olympiacos’ squad for Tuesday’s goalless home draw against Dutch outfit NEC Nijmegen in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifying tie, further fueling uncertainty over his future at the club.
The Iranian, who has scored 58 goals in 107 international appearances, was part of the squad at the recently concluded FIFA World Cup in North America, where Team Melli finished third in Group G with three points and failed to advance to the knockout stage.
Lille, meanwhile, is rebuilding under new Italian head coach Davide Ancelotti following several departures and is seeking additional firepower before beginning its UEFA Champions League campaign. With Hamza Igamane recovering from injury, veteran Olivier Giroud nearing the end of his career, and Matías Fernández-Pardo attracting transfer interest, the French club is exploring experienced attacking reinforcements.
Interest from French clubs is not new for Taremi. Olympique Lyonnais and OGC Nice were both linked with the Iranian striker last summer, but neither club completed a move.
Whether Lille’s interest develops into concrete negotiations remains to be seen as the Ligue 1 side continues to reshape its squad ahead of the new campaign.
Lille finished third in Ligue 1 last season with 61 points, 15 behind champion Paris Saint-Germain and nine adrift of runner-up Lens.