Pierre Lees-Melou restored, will Brest benefit?

Pierre Lees-Melou set his standards so high in 2023-24, the year Brest qualified for the Champions League, that his last season almost seemed bland in comparison. It wasn't really the 32-year- old midfielder's fault, as he was dealing with an injury, a fractured right fibula, which required surgery and kept him out of action for much of the summer and autumn. He even suffered a relapse in November .

The Girondin has therefore quite logically experienced a season of ups and downs, with lows, but 28 matches nonetheless, and also some highs, like the emotion aroused by his first goal in the Champions League, against Leverkusen (1-1, on October 23). His spring has also been quite decent since he has come back in power, and Éric Roy, his coach who adores him, has made him start a string of times since February. His ball play was not hurting his team, then in search of a second wind as the matches continued.

The holidays are over, and Lees-Melou's back-to-school physical tests, sometimes considered a dilettante, were nothing special compared to previous years. Regarding his attitude, it's worth remembering that the former Nice player, through his career, has always been quite detached from football, and that he wasn't criticized for it when Brest were outperforming. Regarding his physical condition, the midfielder is now free of any discomfort, so it would be wise not to draw hasty conclusions from these back-to-school tests.

But will he continue in the Pirates jersey, which he has worn 93 times since his arrival three years ago? It's no secret that there was a before and after the player's request from Rennes in January 2024. Perhaps with the feeling of having missed the boat when the Breton competitor offered higher salaries. And perhaps with the feeling of having done the rounds in Brest.

If offers were to arrive this summer, particularly one from Lyon, which has made him a priority prospect, they would be considered. The Finistère club knows this, but one of them still needs to be suitable - €5 to €6 million is expected - and for all parties to benefit. In the meantime, Lees-Melou, under contract until 2027, is indeed from Brest, and his idea is to approach this new season as a competitor. A state of mind that almost never evaporated when he was on the pitch last season.