Transfer News: Lens have their man, Dino Toppmoller said no to Milan and Crystal Palace for Bollaert
RC Lens have got their man. According to our information, Dino Toppmoller will be the next manager of Racing Club de Lens. The 45-year-old German, who has been out of work since leaving Eintracht Frankfurt in January, is set to sign a two-year deal with the club from Artois. The appointment is expected to be announced as early as next week. A smart move from the Lens hierarchy, who have been working hard behind the scenes while the names of Patrick Videira and Olivier Pantaloni were doing the rounds on the public shortlist.
What makes this appointment especially eye-catching is the competition Lens had to fend off. AC Milan, Crystal Palace and several Saudi clubs ready to splash the cash had all checked out Toppmoller. Even so, the German has chosen Bollaert, drawn by the passion of the blood-and-gold support, the atmosphere inside the stadium and the buzz around a project that includes a place in next season’s Champions League. It says plenty about the pull of the Lens project.
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A profile built for the Lens identity
Toppmoller ticks several major boxes for the dressing room in the north. A fluent French speaker, he should have no problem getting his message across to his players, something the Lens board viewed as essential. Tactically, his 3-4-3 fits the club’s recent identity and the make-up of the current squad. That kind of alignment between a manager’s style and a club’s DNA does not come along often.
His record also inspires confidence. A former assistant to Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich, where he oversaw a winning three-match spell in charge of the Bavarian giants, Toppmoller comes in off a solid stint at Eintracht Frankfurt. OGC Nice took a look at his profile and went no further. Lens, though, did not hang about and have made him their top target. Barring a highly unlikely twist, Dino Toppmoller will be in the Bollaert dugout next season.
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